Sweet Chaos
by WhovianLord245
Summary: Growing up in the hunter life, Jayne Lee meets the Winchesters. Bonds are made and lives are changed, and before she or anyone else knows it or can stop it, sweet chaos ensues; just how far will her love for Dean and Sam take her? How far is she willing to go to save her loved ones?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

 **Chapter One: Girl**

 _She's the kind of girl you want so much_

 _It makes you sorry_

 _Still you don't regret a single day_

 **September 29, 1990**

It was a warm and sunny morning. Though there was a breeze, it merely carried the heat of the sun. It was the kind of day that most people would have loved to spend outside—the kind of day where laying around in the grass and staring up at the clouds would have been appropriate to do. And most people did just that.

Except for two young boys.

"How long are we gonna be here for this time?" The eldest Winchester son sat in the backseat beside his younger brother—who was immersed with a book he'd been reading since they had left their motel room.

"Just for a few weeks."

"What are you hunting this time?" Dean inquired as he looked from the window and met his father's gaze through the rear view mirror. The man, with his five o'clock shadow and the bags under his eyes, stared at his son for a moment before his gaze flittered back to the road.

"Something scarier than anything I've ever hunted before." And that was all he said on the matter. Dean didn't bother questioning his father. Being only eleven and having done nothing but follow his father around for these last few years, the boy figured he had everything under control as he always did.

The rest of the car ride was quiet, Dean's eyes fluttering shut as he leaned his head against the window. Sam read for a few more hours before he, too, fell fast asleep—leaving John to think to himself about his life, his kids and the choices that brought him to this moments.

* * *

"Hey, boys." Dean was the first to open his eyes, his father's deep voice rousing him from his heavy slumber. He blinked several times, his green eyes gleaming as he quickly reached out for his younger brother and shook him by his shoulder. Sam whined at first, but when the shaking continued, he forced his eyes open and looked at Dean first before his gaze fell on his father.

It was dark now. The stars littered the night sky, the warmth now gone and a cool breeze sweeping in through the cracked-open windows. The atmosphere was different in comparison to the day; the afternoon had been relaxing and weightless, and now things were thick and tense.

"We're here," John said with a nod towards the house they were parked in front of. Sam and Dean gazed out the window together before they glanced at each other. Then, the younger boy was opening the door and piling out of the car with his backpack while Dean followed. John watched his sons before his gaze softened. He was quick to follow them, his long strides easily bringing him in front of the two before they were stopped in front of the door.

Two knocks were all it took before the door swung open, a familiar man standing in the doorway, a baseball cap sitting happily on his head. Having expected the visit, the man didn't seem put-off by the intrusion. He merely nodded at John before he looked down at the two boys and smiled. Sam smiled back while Dean nodded, too tired to deal with the pleasantries.

"Good to see you still kickin'."

"Bobby." A small, friendly smile spread across John's lips as he held his hand out and gave his hunting accomplice a firm handshake. "I appreciate this."

"Yeah, well, just be lucky I don't mind the idjits so much." That cracked a smile on Dean's face.

"Boys," John said pointedly.

"Thanks, Bobby," the two Winchesters said in unison. Bobby chuckled before he nodded his head towards the hall.

"You two go ahead and head up stairs. It's late, and the last thing I wanna hear is anyone whinin' tomorrow morning about bein' tired."

"Yeah, _S_ _am._ "

"Shut up!" The two boys gave their father a goodbye hug, the man smiling slightly as he watched his kids go. Bobby waited until the two were out of ear shot before he turned to John, his friendly expression gone.

"What the hell's goin' on?" John let out a sigh before he headed inside; he could spare some time to explain himself.

"...Let me tell you about Kate."

* * *

By the time the sun had rose for the next day, John was long gone. The boys had slept in—for the first time in what felt like years—and when they had woken up, the only person who was there to greet them was Bobby. Still, the two liked their father's friend quite a bit. They had already been left in his care several times before; their rapport with the man was extremely good.

"Mornin', you two." Bobby was at his counter, pouring the kids some cereal and milk; had he known earlier that they were coming, he would have tried to get them some food they could enjoy.

"Morning, Bobby," Dean said while Sam yawned, covering his mouth.

"Morning."

Taking a seat at the table, the Winchesters waited before their current babysitter set bowls in front of them with spoons. "Eat."

"Thanks!" Sam called out before he began to dig in, happy to fill in the void which was his stomach. Dean merely nodded at the man before he started to eat, but as he went for his fourth bite, a sudden banging on the front door of the hunter's home caught everyone's attention.

"What the hell?" Bobby muttered to himself as he adjusted the cap on his head while quickly making his way to the door. He reached for the handgun that was tucked into the back of his pants while he held tightly to the door handle.

"Bobby?!" The three were startled by a young girl's voice. "Bobby, mom—help!" Without another word, Bobby swiftly opened his front door, Dean and Sam now right behind the man out of concern and curiosity.

"Jayne, where's your mom?" Bobby asked urgently while the little girl pointed to the truck that was parked sloppily in front of his house. He didn't bother waiting, sprinting over to the running truck. He tugged the door open, eyes widening when he found a woman leaning unconscious against her steering wheel.

"Balls!" Looking over his shoulder, Bobby waved Dean and Sam away—meaning that this was something Sam was not ready to see. The 11-year-old quickly grabbed his younger brother by his elbow, pulling him away from the door.

"Wait, let go, Dean!" Sam snapped as he looked back at Bobby with a worried look on his face. His eyes landed on the girl standing at the doorway, her eyes not having left the truck once. "We should—"

"—Let Bobby deal with this," Dean finished before his eyes fell on the little girl. His gaze softened as she stood at the door with her arms at her side and her hands balled into tight fists. Her bottom lip was jutted out and her brows were furrowed inward from fear and concern.

"Sammy, just go back inside and finish eating."

"But—"

"Just go eat!" Dean barked before the 7-year-old glared; he did as his brother ordered, though.

Watching Sam trudge away, the older Winchester waited until his brother was in the kitchen before he turned his attention to the little girl. He took a deep breath and knelt down beside her. His presence went completely unnoticed by her, her eyes watching closely as Bobby carefully scooped the woman into his arms and began to carry her towards the house. And even as Bobby rushed past them, the girl remained where she stood, not once changing her stance. Dean remained there for several seconds, not sure as to what he was supposed to do.

"Uh...Hey, you okay?" The girl didn't answer initially. She merely stared at the truck, a tiny trail of blood left in her mother's wake. Dean frowned as he looked over his shoulder hoping, in his mind, that Bobby would appear and deal with the girl himself; he wasn't so lucky.

"...My name's Dean." Finally, the girl turned to look at him, but he was shocked at the cold glare he got from her. She then narrowed her eyes at him before she brushed past him, running into the house and following after Bobby—who had scurried into his sitting room, shutting the doors to the kitchen to keep things private; more so, to keep Sam out. Dean stood to his feet and looked after the girl, his effort of looking uninterested failing. But after realizing he would be no help to either Bobby or the girl, the boy sighed and returned to his spot across from Sam, the two begrudgingly finishing their food.

* * *

"How is she, Bobby?" Said man looked up at the two boys as he entered the kitchen, now in a set of clean clothes; his old pair had bloodstains on them.

"She's doing just fine," the hunter said reassuringly.

"Who was that?" Sam asked, the concern laced in every word he spoke. Bobby glanced at Dean, who merely stared at him, wondering the same thing.

"Just a friend of mine. She got herself into some trouble and needed some help," It wasn't a complete lie.

"What about the girl?" Dean asked curiously while the older man sighed.

"She should be alright. She wasn't hurt, thankfully." He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle something like that.

"You boys mind doin' me a favor?"

"What?" the two asked at the same time.

"That girl—her name's Jayne. Could you two keep her busy for me while I talk to her mom. Might help her keep her mind off of things." Sam immediately agreed, always quick to help, while Dean hesitantly nodded. Bobby smiled at the two, relieved to have their help with this; he was glad to know John's kids were alright. "Wait here while I get her." The Winchesters nodded, watching Bobby go.

"...Great." Dean let out a heavy sigh while Sam merely gave his brother a dirty look.

Walking into his living room, Bobby smiled, the young girl sitting at her mother's side and her hands clutching to the sleeping woman's. "Hey, Jaynie." Looking up at the sound of her nickname, Jayne watched as Bobby approached her. "Go ahead and play outside with the boys. I'll sit with your mama." The apprehension was obvious in the way she looked at Bobby.

"Don't worry, they're good kids. They'll watch out for you," the hunter stated evenly; his confidence was enough to convince Jayne. She stood up trudged over to the sliding doors, opening them just enough so she could slip through before she shut them behind her. Bobby sighed, letting his shoulders sag but jumping when Jayne's mother spoke with a raspy voice.

"Thank you, Bobby."

"Damn it, Tracy. What the hell happened?" The woman shook her head, slowly sitting up.

"We were ambushed by demons."

"Shit. What happened?"

"It all happened so quickly. I'm not even sure."

"You send those sonsofabitches back to hell?" Tracy's eyes hardened as she shook her head.

"No, I didn't. But...someone else—someone else came and then...Bobby, I don't know what the hell happened...but he kept Jayne safe." That had explained why the girl had come out of the situation completely unscathed.

"Who came?" Tracy sighed, shaking her head.

"He called himself Castiel."

* * *

Sam and Dean had introduced themselves to Jayne, but she seemed completely disconnected from them. Still, Bobby had asked them to keep an eye on her, so that was what they planned on doing. The two convinced the girl to come outside with them, the sun beaming down and creating an inviting warmth. At first, the 5-year-old was apprehensive of playing with Sam. She was silent and hadn't spoken the entire time, but the 7-year-old was determined. He suggested playing pretend-something, hide-and-seek, racing around Bobby's house—nothing seemed to interest the girl.

"How about tag?" Dean suggested; shockingly, that seemed to gain Jayne's interest.

The three ran around the open area just near the entrance of the Bobby's junk yard. Sam had been it first, and strategically, he had been planning on targeting Jayne first; she was the youngest of them all, and he had thought she'd be the slowest. But upon playing the game, he realized that the girl was extremely quick—almost faster than Dean. So, he opted for his brother and eventually got him.

"Jeez...Jayne, you...you're fast," Dean panted at the end, while Sam sat beside him with his legs stretched out and his head leaned back so he was staring at the sky and catching his breath. The girl giggled, panting as well. She grinned at the boys before she shrugged.

"Mommy said I always need to be the fastest one." Dean's expression softened for a split-second as he glanced to Sam, who let the comment roll off his shoulders; if only he knew what this girl was probably going through.

Reaching out, the 11-year-old pat the girl's head, her wide-eyed stare almost adorable to him. "Yeah, well, I bet you make your mom proud, Sonic." Dean smiled at the way the girl laughed.

"Jaynie." Looking up at her name, the child's grin widened as she found her mother standing in the doorway. The woman smiled happily, relieved to see her girl was doing just fine. "Say goodbye to your friends. It's time to go."

"Awe man, already?" Sam whined quietly as he stood up. "Now I'm stuck with him." Dean rolled his eyes, elbowing his brother in the side playfully while the younger boy snorted.

"Thanks for playing with me!" Jayne said as the brothers nodded.

"Maybe we'll see you again! We come here sometimes when our dad works long jobs," Sam said as Dean glanced to his brother before looking at the girl. She merely nodded before throwing a wave over her shoulder and sprinting up to her mother; she was seriously quick.

Sam and Dean remained outside for a few minutes, enjoying the rest of the early afternoon. It wasn't until Bobby came out that they stopped what they were doing. "You boys doin' alright?"

"Yeah," Sam said as Dean nodded.

"Hey, Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"Do Jayne and her mom come here a lot?" Sam asked, catching Bobby off guard.

"Uh, not a lot, but they make sure to stop by every once in a while."

"Good," the younger Winchester stated. "Playing with her was fun, and she even got Dean to play tag with us." That surprised Bobby. He looked over at the 11-year-old, who avoided his gaze and looked over to the side with his arms crossed. The older man stared for a few seconds more before he chuckled, patting the kid on the back.

"Thanks, buddy."

"Whatever." Dean's aloof demeanor was solid, but Bobby knew better.

Because, the truth was, Dean had just been wanting to help the girl. Her mother was obviously a hunter, and being that young and traveling with her and doing whatever with her—he knew it couldn't be easy. So he wanted her to have fun. He wanted her to play like a 5-year-old should. And along the way, he found himself doing the same thing; he played like an 11-year-old needed to. So, in some bizarre way, Jayne had ended up helping him too.

 **A** **ugust 23, 1994**

"Hey, Uncle Bobby!"

"Good seein' you, Jaynie." The 9-year-old grinned as she hugged the man, Bobby chuckling before he hugged her back. He glanced up and watched as Tracy approached them with their bags. She smiled at him and nodded, the male hunter standing up and motioning for the pair to come inside.

"How's it been?"

"It's been well enough," Tracy said as she glanced down at Jayne. "We're still in one piece." And that was what mattered.

"Good." Bobby continued leading the way, heading towards the kitchen. Jayne frowned as she noticed the door shut; something wasn't right.

"C'mon, kid," the man in the baseball cap called out. The 9-year-old hesitantly did as told, her mother quietly chuckling before Bobby opened the door.

A gasp filled the air from Jayne as her brown eyes widened. She stiffened like a board, two boys jumping out at her and scaring the daylights out of her. "Surprise!" they hollered obnoxiously, Sam laughing at Jayne's reaction while Dean smirked widely.

"Sa—Sam? Dean?"

"Happy birthday, Jaynie!"

Jayne's mother had told her that after their last hunt, she needed a break. She was tired and ready to sleep somewhere that wasn't a musty motel; although Bobby's place was a bit musty, it was so much more like home than anywhere else. And so, Tracy had told her daughter that they would be staying at Bobby's for a day to regroup and recharge—and the girl had no problem with that. She loved spending time at Bobby's.

And every once in a while, she would get to hang out with her two friends.

Recovering from the initial shock, Jayne grinned as she hugged the boys individually. "Sam! Dean!" They returned the girl's hug, Dean patting the top of her head like he usually did. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We've been here for a few days. Dad dropped us off for a hunt he needed to do solo," he explained while Sam nodded.

"Bobby told us you were gonna stop by for your birthday!"

"Sammy, here, thought of this whole thing." Jayne grinned widely before she hugged Sam once more.

"You're the best! Both of you!" And then she turned to Bobby and her mother. "Thank you!" Tracy chuckled as she nodded.

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Come on, let's eat some cake." And with that, everyone piled in to the kitchen.

* * *

"Do you see it now?"

"Wait...oh, there! Right?"

"Yep! The big and little dipper."

"Jesus, could you be any more of a nerd?"

The three kids sat outside while Bobby and Tracy sat at the kitchen table, drinking beers and chatting quietly to themselves. The day had gone by quickly for everyone—what, with all the fun the three had been having. The entire day was filled with laughter and smiles, which was rather uncommon for a hunter's life. But even hunters deserved breaks, and even hunters deserved to celebrate birthdays.

Cake had been eaten, presents had been opened, and although the group was small and there wasn't much to open in the first place, Jayne was grateful beyond words. By the end of the day, the girl's cheeks had been aching from all the smiling she had been doing; it was rare to see her this happy.

"Sam! Come wash these dishes up!" Bobby hollered as the 11-year-old groaned.

"What about—"

"Don't bring me into this. I did them this morning," Dean snapped while his younger brother rolled his eyes, huffing before he stood up and dragged himself back inside to do his chore.

"Sammy, if you want I can—"

"Oh, no," the 15-year-old intervened while shaking his head. "Rule's are rules. Birthday girl doesn't do any work."

"Since when?"

"Since always." Jayne threw her head back and laughed at Dean's logic, the boy watching her with a fond gleam in his green eyes. He was glad to see the birthday girl smile; it meant that hunters could live this life and still have something to look forward to.

"Oh, before I forget." Digging into the pocket of his jacket, Dean pulled out a sloppily wrapped object, catching the black haired girl off guard.

"I thought you said you didn't get me a present."

"I just told Sammy that. He made me promise that if I got you something, I wouldn't use the five-finger-discount." Jayne gave her friend an exasperated stare while he held his hand up and wiggled his fingers. She, then, began unwrapping the gift, and all the while Dean watched anxiously; he wasn't much of a present-giver, especially to chicks.

Jayne laughed as she held up a tiny box, a _Sonic the Hedgehog_ figurine inside of it. She looked to Dean as he smiled at the object, leaning forward a bit to get a better look at it his present he got for the girl. "It's not much, but I saw it and thought of you."

"It's awesome!" Jayne exclaimed before she opened her arms and wrapped them around Dean. "Thank you!" The brunet chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

 **October 6, 1999**

The road was covered in a veil of fog, the gray clouds blocking the sun. The air was cold and stiff, the tension merely growing as the minutes went by. No one dared to speak, unsure of what to say to make the moment pass or to lessen the pain of what was to come. Still, although no one had the words to say, they were all thinking the same exact thing.

 _Shit._

John glanced back at Sam, the 16-year-old gazing intently out the window while his right leg moved up and down rapidly; he needed some way to release all the excess energy he had bottled up. The father then looked to Dean, who was seated silently in the passenger's seat with an aimless glare. Their father tried to think of some way to comfort his boys—after all, even though he wasn't the best at being a father, it was still his job to make sure that they were alright; he just had no clue how to do that when it came to emotions.

"There!" Dean suddenly chirped, pointing to the shadow sitting at the side of the road. "She's right there!" John barely had time to pull the car over before Sam and Dean were jumping out, running over to the silhouette. The man's eyes softened as he let out a tired sigh, shaking his head; at least his kids had turned out to be caring.

"Jaynie!" Dean was the first to approach the 14-year-old's side, kneeling down and carefully grabbing her by her shoulders. Her gaze was elsewhere, her eyes glazed over and the usual, bubbly aura around her completely gone. Her jaw was slacked and her skin cold to Dean's touch; it almost made him shiver. "Jaynie? Jaynie, look at me." Finally, the girl responded, her brown eyes meeting his green ones. He sighed, relieved that she finally answered him, before looking up at Sam—who had been standing beside his brother with a concerned expression on his face.

Neither of them addressed the blood that stained her clothes and body.

"Jayne." Looking up at the deep voice, said girl watched silently as John slowly approached her with a knowing look. She said nothing—merely pointed in the direction of the woods behind her. The man nodded as he looked to Dean and Sam, giving directions with his eyes. Without having to say a word, they already knew what they were supposed to do.

"...I'm sorry..." Dean and Sam blinked, their father disappearing into the woods; Jayne's words had surprised them. "I...I didn't have anyone else to call...I tried Bobby but..." The 14-year-old lost her voice, suddenly trembling in Dean's grasp. The young man grimaced while he looked at Sam, who nodded and ran back to the car.

"Hey, we're glad you called us," Dean assured, making his voice sound as gentle as he physically could. "We'll take care of this."

She had been on a hunt with her mother. It had sounded so simple at the time, but upon executing the actual plan, things had gone awry. Everything had happened so quickly, and by the time Jayne had realized what had happened, it was too late; her mother had died in her arms.

Barely managing to escape with her own life, Jayne dragged her mother's body across the forest, lost in her agony and completely disoriented. By the time she reached a safe distance from where she had come, tears were pouring down her face, and she was muttering incoherently to herself. For the first few minutes, she paced back and forth, avoiding her mother's lifeless body. Then she began to sob, holding the woman close and begging her to come back. When she realized that her mother would never answer her, she began to hazardously call for help. She called Bobby's number three times, but the man's voicemail had been the only answer. She thought helplessly for a few moments, unsure of who to call next.

Until a name in her contacts list caught her attention.

It had been a year-and-a-half since she had last seen Dean and Sam. They had accidentally bumped into each other on a hunt, and after Tracy and John discussed the situation, they decided to work together. The three kids assisted as much as they could, though John and Tracy made sure to keep them out of the hunt as much as possible; too many people on one hunt sometimes hurt more than helped. The three of them didn't mind though; they merely spent time together and laughed and smiled as they normally did when they were united. And then, when the job was finished, they regretfully parted ways with hugs and goodbyes.

Thinking back on the memory, Jayne had found herself already dialing Dean's number, her hands quivering as she raised the phone up to her ears. She was relieved that her friend had answered only after two rings. " _Jaynie?_ " The sound of his voice made her crack; she was weeping uncontrollably.

After that, it only took the Winchesters a few hours to find Jayne.

"Here." Sam returned to the pair, Dean's leather jacket that had been given to him by his father now draped over Jayne's shoulders. She nodded a thanks to Sam, though she didn't meet his gaze, and she pulled the jacket on tighter, feeling colder than ever before.

Looking up at the sky, Dean and Sam could make out black smoke faintly through the fog. They exchanged glances but made sure not to say much else, letting Jayne have her moment. They sat with her quietly until their father returned, the man wearing a sympathetic expression on his face. Slowly, he approached the three before he stopped behind the 14-year-old and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"...I'm sorry, Jayne." Said girl didn't reply. She sat silently, staring off into the distance, her brows furrowed. Dean raised a brow at that as he looked over his shoulder in the direction that his friend was looking; he frowned when he saw nothing but the cornfield. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you in the car." Whatever signs that Jayne and Tracy had left—John had taken care of it all.

Helping her to her feet, Sam and Dean remained by the girl's side while John led them back to the impala. Jayne's jaw clenched as her eyes drifted back to the cornfield, but when Sam and Dean looked towards what she had been glaring at, they found nothing; no one dared to question her at that moment, though.

The three slipped into the back of the car while John started the ignition. He glanced back at the three and quietly sighed; Jayne's head was leaned against Dean's shoulder while she held tightly to Sam's hand.

He was happy that the three of them had each other.

 **June 22, 2001**

"Shit!" Jayne winced as she quickly stuck her index finger into her mouth, sucking lightly on the cut she had given herself while chopping some vegetables. She shook her head, setting the knife down and rolling her eyes.

"Jaynie?"

"I'm okay!" the 16-year-old hollered while she quickly stuck her finger under the faucet and ran cold water over it. She looked over her shoulder when she heard heavy footsteps against the wooden floor, and she smiled as Bobby peered into the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face.

"What the hell're you doin' to yourself, girl?"

"Cooking. And if you ever did it yourself maybe you'd know how difficult this is," she stated bitterly, though there was a smile spread across her face. Bobby scoffed before he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a beer from the fridge.

"This," he said as he popped the top off of his bottle. "Is the closest way I get to cookin'." That made Jayne laugh.

And then the sound of her ringing cell phone interrupted whatever else Bobby was going to say.

"You mind handing me my phone, Bobby?"

"Here." The man held it out to her, Jayne wiping her hand dry and examining her finger while she answered the call.

"Hello?"

" _He left. Sam fucking left_." Jayne blinked, surprised to hear the familiar voice from the other end of the line. She quickly glanced at the caller i.d. before she placed the phone back to her ear, looking at Bobby before she nodded towards the front door. He raised a brow at her but nodded, letting her pass.

"Start over, Dean."

" _Sam and Dad_ — _they got into it, and now he's gone_."

"What were they fighting about?"

" _Sammy, he got a full-ride to Stanford_." For a second, Jayne forgot the original reason why her friend called.

"Holy shit! That's amazing!"

" _Yeah, it is. But dad didn't think so._ " The black haired girl frowned at that.

"What did he say?"

" _Said that it was stupid of him to leave_ — _that he needed to stick with the family and keep hunting. But Sam, he couldn't let it go. And before I could do anything about it, they were shouting and shoving and..._ " Dean's heavy breath made Jayne drag her hand over her jawline.

"Where are you guys?"

" _No where close._ " Dean knew Jayne's immediate reaction would be to come to him.

"... _Now, he's gone_." Jayne frowned as she took a seat on the steps leading to Bobby's front door. " _...He fucking left me here with dad!_ " Dean exclaimed angrily; Jayne heard the faint sound of glass breaking.

"Dean—"

" _How could he do that? Just grab his things and go? And let me tell you, he jumped at the chance to get the hell out_ — _like he'd been waiting for dad to tell him to leave all his damn life!_ "

"Dean, you know that's not true," Jayne said quietly with a forlorn look on her face. "Sammy would never _want_ to just leave you behind."

" _But he did! He left me here to go live some fake, black-and-white, boring-ass life!_ " And although the 22-year-old came off like he was angry he had been deserted by his brother, Jayne knew the truth; Dean was angry because his brother was able to live the life he could never have.

"...How many have you had to drink?" Dean didn't answer her question at first. " _Dean_."

" _Nine_." The young girl sighed.

"Stop. You've had enough. Don't bother driving back to the motel from wherever you. Just sleep in the impala." She assumed he had taken his father's car to escape. "Drink water, sleep, and let this go."

"... _I can't just let it go, Jaynie_." His voice was weak and defeated, and Jayne wanted nothing more than to hold him and rub his back until he felt better. " _What the hell am I supposed to do without him?_ " The girl's brown eyes softened before she took a deep breath, deciding to give her friend some tough-love.

"You keep doing what you're doing, Dean. Because, guess what? You sitting here and wallowing in your pity isn't going to bring him back." The 22-year-old remained silent.

"Truth is, if you really wanted him to stay and you really wanted him back, you would go after him and stop him—because you know you can. If anyone can talk him into doing anything, it's you." Jayne didn't miss a beat as she continued. "But deep down, that's not what you really want. You want him to live the life that he's _always_ wanted. And you want Sammy to be happy. The real reason why you're mad is because now you feel like you don't have a choice. Now you _have_ to stay with John and live this life. And you're pissed because deep down, you want the choice of staying or leaving."

" _I_ —"

"Shut up." Dean sighed, but did just that.

"It's your life. When it comes down to it, you can do whatever you want. You could hunt, you could not, you could go and live a regular life like I know you want to. But you won't. And that's not Sam's fault or your dad's fault. That's on you. So don't be mad at Sam for being brave enough to do the thing you're too afraid to do." Jayne was trembling, afraid of what her words would do to her closest friend; she was always honest with him.

" _...I've got my reasons_." Dean defended bitterly.

"I know you do. But, Dean, you can't sit here and be mad at Sam if this is the life you choose. It doesn't matter what your reasons are. If you're choosing to stay with your dad and do this, then that's your choice. If Sam's choosing not to and wants to go to school—that's _his_ choice. But you have to respect that and be happy about it, whether it sucks or not." Dean didn't reply for several minutes. Jayne let him stew in her words, afraid that if she said anything else, he might snap and take his anger out on her. The silence dragged on for so long, she had thought he had hung up on her, but when she finally heard him sigh, she relaxed.

" _I just want us to be together_." He wanted them to find happiness together.

Jayne's eyes softened as she sighed, the vulnerability in Dean's voice rare and heart-breaking. "I know. But sometimes you have to find what makes you happy on your own."

" _...This sucks ass._ " The young woman laughed at that.

"Yeah, it does."

" _I'll call you tomorrow._ " Jayne was relieved to hear the faint screech of the impala door opening in the background.

"Sounds good."

" _Night, Jaynie._ "

"Night, Dean."

"... _And thanks._ " That made the girl smile.

Ending the call, Jayne let out a heavy sigh. She stared out at the day, the sun smiling down at her. And although she wanted nothing more than to embrace the warmth of the spring day, she had something important she needed to do.

Opening up her phone once more, the 16-year-old dialed a number and waited. She listened to the line ring three times before her call was answered, a familiar voice greeting her. " _Jaynie! Glad you called!_ " Jayne smiled softly.

"Hey, Sammy."

 **October 28, 2005**

" _I told you not to underestimate that damn poltergeist._ "

"I didn't! I just...okay, maybe I did, but it all worked out in the end."

" _Idjit_."

Jayne yawned while she wrapped her forearm, the gash she had received from her recently-finished hunt now clean and managed. Her body was sore, but she was relieved that she hadn't suffered from any major damage; the last thing she needed to deal with was a hospital trip.

" _You planning on coming back home now?_ "

"Yeah. I'll head over tomorrow morn—" Before she could finish her statement, a knocking on her motel door caught her attention. The 20-year-old blinked before her brown eyes narrowed; she wasn't expecting any guests.

" _Who the hell's that?_ "

"Not sure," Jayne replied back quietly. She quickly reached for her Beretta sitting on her nightstand, undoing the safety and holding her gun behind her back. Cautiously, the hunter approached her door, slowly reaching for the handle and leaning her head against the wood. She remained silent, trying to listen to whoever was on the other side.

"Jaynie, open the door. It's just me." That made the woman blink.

"Uh, Bobby. I'll have to call you back."

" _You alright?_ "

"Yeah, I'm good. But, just to let you know, I may not be coming home for a bit." And with that, she ended the call.

Pulling the door open, the black haired woman stood in her room with her hip jutted out, her hand resting on her hip; she was still holding her gun. "What are you doing here, Dean? And how the hell'd you find me?" Said man was wearing a cheeky smile across his face as he took a moment to examine his friend.

A whole two years had flown by since Dean and Jayne had last met. The man had stopped by Bobby's without his father—the two men having had a major fall out years back. The Winchesters had been in the area and had also just finished up a hunt, so Dean had decided to stop by to see his friend. He was glad to see that she was doing well, and he was even more happy to see that she and Bobby were making things work together; she'd been staying there ever since her mother passed.

Although time had gone by, Dean still made sure to keep in contact with her. They talked frequently on the phone—sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for just a few seconds. Either way, hearing her voice after a long day brought him a sense of comfort; seeing her in person made him feel a few _other_ things.

She had grown up. Her black hair had lengthened and was now down to the middle of her back, and her brown eyes were as bright as ever. She had grown into her figure, owning the fact that although she was lean, she still had an hour-glass kind of shape to her body; Dean could appreciate that. Not only had she grown into her body, but her face had also filled in and thinned out. She was still short, much shorter than the 26-year-old. And although he gave her shit for it any time he saw her, he didn't mind the difference.

"Nice to see you too, Jaynie." The girl grinned before she nearly jumped into her friend's arms, the man chuckling as he hugged her back, lifting her from the ground slightly. After a moment, he set her back down, placing a hand on the top of her head—as he had done when they were kids.

"Here, come in." Stepping aside, Jayne watched as Dean strolled in, his eyes roaming the room before they roamed her body one last time.

"What brings you to Salt Lake City?" the woman asked as she watched her fellow hunter take a seat on her bed. He sighed before cracking his neck, realizing just how tense his body was from driving for so long.

"I need your help."

"My help?" That caught Jayne off guard. "Help with a hunt?" Dean sighed once more before he looked up with Jayne, giving her a solemn stare.

"I need help finding my dad."

* * *

 **Hello, whoever is reading! After a long time of contemplating, I decided to post this story online! I came up with the idea a bit ago, having binged-watched the series and loving it the minute I started. I'm completely caught up now, which my friend warned me that I would just fall in love with the show, and now, here we are!**

 **Supernatural is the kind of show that's action-filled, yet still funny and also suspenseful all at once. Obviously, whoever is reading this knows that already. So, with that being said, I wrote this story because I'm honestly so tired of seeing the guys go through so much shit! It's almost just unfair as to how their lives turned out, so I decided to write a story in which the apocalypse is avoided. This story will follow the plot up until a certain point, and then from there it will branch off into its own thing. So, this is a warning to readers who are more interested in stories that follow the plot! Sorry if you do not like the idea of branching off! There's still going to be a dark element to this story and a serious element, and this is by no means a story about finding complete happiness. I just wanted to be able to write a story where Dean and Sam aren't always miserable and giving so much just to be kicked in the ass again LOL Also, as another warning, this story is rated "M" for violence, sexual content and language. I figured that I should just get all the warnings out on this first chapter now before whoever is reading goes into this any further. There will be a few more OC's other than the first one that has been mentioned, Jayne. Of course, there will also still be the same characters that we love that will make an entrance! So don't worry about that! They're too good not to write :D**

 **Well, now that I've placed all warnings in this chapter, please read and enjoy! If there is anything I can work on or anything that is missing, please let me know! I'm very open to criticism, just as long as it's presented in a polite fashion :) I hope to keep all characters in-character, so if that seems amiss, definitely inform me so I can correct the mistake right away! Otherwise, please read and I truly hope you like this! I've put a lot of thought and effort into writing this, so hopefully it shows.**

 **Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of the characters**

 **Chapter Two: King and Lionheart I**

 _And in the sea that's painted black_

 _Creatures lurk below the deck_

 _But you're a king and I'm a lionheart_

 **October 30, 2005**

It was late, and although he hadn't had much to drink like everyone else, he was still tired and wanted to rest. Yet, as he laid in his bed and tried to will himself to fall asleep, he couldn't seem to relax. There was a strange heaviness in his chest that he felt—like a weight was being placed on top of him. He did his best to ignore the sensation, but with the dreams he had been having as of late, it was hard for him.

Sam didn't give up on sleeping until his cell phone began to go off.

Quickly, so not to wake Jess, the 22-year-old reached out and grabbed his phone, reading the caller i.d. and blinking; he hadn't been expecting her to call any time soon. He was quick to stand up and walk into the bathroom that was attached to his bedroom, flicking the light on and then cracking the door. "Jayne?"

" _S_ _ammy! Hey! Sorry to call so late._ "

"Uh, no, it's fine," the future law student said with a light chuckle. "It's always great to hear from you," he stated with a small smile.

" _Look, I wish this was just a call to catch up, but there's something I need to talk to you about._ " That made Sam's heart drop.

"What—" Before the young man could ask her what the problem was, he heard a thump from the living room; he was almost sure someone had just opened a window. He narrowed his eyes, his focus now on whoever was intruding into his apartment.

" _Sammy? You still there?_ "

"Hold on, Jaynie."

" _Wait_ —"

"Give me a second."

" _Sam_ —" Jayne's voice went ignored as Sam quickly set his cell phone down and ventured out of his bathroom. He tip-toed out of his bedroom, making sure to be as silent as possible for his sleeping girlfriend. Once he was in the doorway, he gazed through the darkness, letting his eyes adjust to the lack of light. He stiffened when he looked to the window out by the foyer; someone was definitely breaking in.

Narrowing his eyes, the former hunter was quick to examine his surroundings, listening intently for any sudden sounds. He tensed up when a heavy footstep sounded through the silence. Pressing his back against the wall, Sam waited, gazing intently out towards the entryway of the living room, and as he looked past the beading that was hanging from the top of the doorway, his eyes widened as a shadow walked across smoothly. The college student contained himself, though, going around through the other hallway in order to cut the intruder off in the kitchen.

With his back pressed against the wall, Sam waited patiently to strike, the stranger's footsteps creaking against the floor. And when the intruder pushed the door to the kitchen open and stepped through, Sam struck, lurching forward and grabbing the man by the back of his shoulder while he brought his right hand across to try and put his opponent into a choke hold. He was shocked at the way his enemy reacted, quick to block his arm and twist it behind his back. But being flexible and quick, Sam twisted his body around, pulling himself free from the intruder and fighting back.

The pair fought against each other for a few minutes, Sam seemingly a bit slower and less prepared for the moves that were thrown at him. After a few more attempts to kick and punch, the student was thrown to the ground, the wind knocked completely from his chest. And as he took a moment to catch his breath, a hand gripping tightly to the collar of his shirt, his green eyes widened as he found a familiar face gazing down at him.

"Whoa there, easy tiger."

" _Dean_?"

* * *

Jayne sighed as she waited for Dean outside of the impala. She leaned against the black car and pursed her lips, asking herself whether letting her friend go in on his own had been the brightest idea. After all, she knew it had been years since the brothers had spoken. But Dean had insisted—had said that he wanted to do this on his own. And Jayne was going to respect that. She just couldn't shake the feeling that, perhaps, Sam deserved a bit of a warning.

Which was why she had called him.

But then, her friend had ignored her on the phone as he went to deal with Dean, so her attempts to assist had been for nothing. The only thing the 20-year-old could do now was just wait to see how things went.

And as she watched Dean and Sam trudge out of the complex bickering with each other, she knew that things hadn't gone as smoothly as she had hoped.

"We were raised like warriors!"

"So, what're you gonna do? Live some normal—"

"Jayne?" Dean had been interrupted by the Sam's realization that his childhood friend was waiting outside of his brother's car. "What are you doing here?" His expression dropped as he looked to Dean. "Don't tell me you forced her come with you for this."

The 26-year-old rolled his eyes. "No."

"Like he could _make_ me do anything at all," Jayne retorted back with a smirk before Sam relaxed, chuckling. He opened his arms up and pulled the young woman into a tight hug; he was at least glad to see she was doing well.

"It's good to see you, Sammy!"

"Yeah, you too." Sam sighed, stepping back as he placed his hands on his friend's shoulders. He took a moment to look her over, making sure that she was clean, unharmed and healthy looking. When he was satisfied with the way she appeared, the younger Winchester turned to Dean with a deep frown.

"Why'd you ask Jayne to come with you?" Dean frowned as he glanced to his friend.

"Because I need her here."

"Then what was the point of coming to get me?"

"I _want_ you to come with," Dean stated evenly. "And to be completely honest, I had a feeling you wouldn't want to do this, and I didn't want to have to do this alone." Jayne's eyes softened as Dean met her gaze, and she gave him a small smile. He relaxed, his expression softening before his eyes went back to Sam, who glanced from his brother and then to his friend; he was unsure of what to do with the situation.

"Look, I get it. You want out. But Dad needs us, and I think that he could be in some serious trouble." Sam swallowed, hearing a tone in his older brother's voice that was rare; desperation.

"...What was he hunting?"

* * *

He had agreed to help his brother and Jayne on the condition that he would be returned by Monday for an important interview that he had planned for his chances of getting into law school. And although Dean seemed more neutral about the news, Jayne had given Sam another tight hug and an excited grin; she and he chatted for several minutes about that before he went to pack for the next few days.

Jayne stood beside Dean, the two waiting for Sam to return so they could head off for their hunt. The young woman glanced over at her friend, and she could almost hear his thoughts in his head before she scoffed. "Don't be an ass."

"I wasn't!"

"Law school is important to him."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it."

"Oh, so now you can read minds?" Dean rolled his eyes as he shook his head, wearing an exasperated look. Jayne merely sighed in return before she reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Just try and play nice. You two haven't seen or spoken in awhile. The last thing we need while looking for your dad is some big explosion of unfinished family business." Dean stared at the black haired woman before he sighed, relenting and nodding his head.

"...You're lucky you're cute, you know that?" Jayne smirked before she released her friend's hand and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't I know it." Dean narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

The two waited in silence for a few more minutes before Sam walked out, a bag in hand. He smiled at Jayne and nodded, looking to Dean with a more solemn stare.

And then, they were off.

 **November 2, 2005**

Her entire body was still sore. Her shoulders ached, and she was sure she had accidentally pulled a muscle in her thigh while she and Sam had been forced to crash into the home of the Woman in White. Still, there had been no serious damage done to her or the Winchesters, so she was truly grateful for that.

Glancing over to Dean in the driver's seat of the impala, Jayne frowned at his silence. They had just dropped Sam back off at his apartment, and although they had ended things off on a somewhat good note, she could tell that he was disappointed that Sam had decided to stay back and prepare for the interview. It wasn't that Dean didn't want his brother to excel. Dean had always wanted Sam to be happy, and he had always wanted Sam to have the life he deserved. But he had hoped that his younger brother would want to find a way to stay together and make things work with their dysfunctional family.

"...Dean?"

"I'm fine," the 26-year-old immediately answered, keeping his eyes on the road. Jayne rolled her eyes as she shook her head, shutting John's journal that she had been flipping through just seconds earlier.

"It's fine that you're not."

"Jesus—"

"Seriously."

"Look, Jaynie. I didn't try and go all 'Dr. Phil' on you when you had to deal with your shit." Immediately, the woman's eyes hardened. "So don't try and pull that crap with me." Immediately, Dean regretted his words. He stole a glance to the sulking woman, her eyes now gazing out her window and her arms crossed over her chest. The driver let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes with one hand while the other remained on the steering wheel.

"I didn't...Jaynie, look—"

"You're such an asshole, do you know that?" the 20-year-old spat out viciously, causing Dean to groan. "Seriously. God forbid anyone ever worry about your sorry ass." The brunet did his best not to completely snap at the fuming woman.

"All I'm saying is—"

"I get it. 'My name is Dean, and I think I'm tough and don't have to talk about my feelings because I'm a man—when in reality it eats me away inside because I just bottle it up, and then I just get angrier at myself and at the world'!" the woman managed to get out in one breath. Her immaturity surprised her, but she couldn't seem to force herself to care as she childishly tightened her hands into fists. Her eyes widened, and she let out a yelp while Dean slammed on the brakes of his car. He then turned his head to Jayne and glared, the woman collecting herself before she looked at her friend with an incredulous expression.

"Dean! What the hell?!"

"You're acting like grade-A bitch right now, you know that?"

" _What_ did you just call me?"

"I didn't say you _were_ one. Just that you're _acting_ like one."

"What the hell's the difference, you shit-head!"

"Jaynie! Can we focus? Jesus Christ!"

"I'm just tired of you being like this!"

"Being like what?!"

"Being so damn stubborn about things when it comes to your family and how you feel and what you want!" Jayne exclaimed as she threw her hands up in frustration. "It's like talking to a brick wall when it comes to the Winchesters and any of that stuff!" Dean scoffed as he shook his head, gripping tightly to the steering wheel.

"You don't..." The brunet trailed off as his green eyes caught sight of smoke rising into the sky in his rear-view mirror. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand as a chill ran down his spine; instantly, he knew Sam was in trouble.

"Sonofabitch!" Jayne blinked as she frowned, Dean's abrupt change in mood quite unsettling for her. She quickly looked out the window as the older hunter pulled a u-turn in the empty street and sped back towards Sam's apartment. And when the dark haired woman realized why he was in such a rush, her heart dropped.

There was a fire in the distance.

 **N** **ovember 6, 2005**

The air was tense and heavy with dread—which seemed to match the storm clouds that hung in the sky. Rain fell hard and fast, anything and everything in its path becoming drenched in a matter of seconds. A set of brown eyes gazed at the lightning flashing in the sky before a voice startled them out of their lost stare.

"We're gonna head out soon." Jayne let out a deep breath through her nose as she found Sam leaning against the doorframe, his empty eyes glued to the storm outside.

"...Sammy, I really don't think this is a good idea." The 22-year-old shook his head.

"I have to do this—for Jess."

"I know that. But it's—Don't you think it's too soon? You should take some time—"

"I don't _have_ time, Jaynie," Sam whispered, finally meeting her gaze with his own teary-eyed one. "...After I left dad and Dean, I thought I had my whole life to finally just be _safe_ and happy. I thought I had all the time in the world for all the things I wanted to do...And then I met Jess, and everything was just so great...but the truth was always right under my nose," the mourning student said as he shook his head.

"I never had any time. No matter how far I run, this life...it's always going to catch up to me."

"Sam..." Jayne swallowed a lump in her throat before she reached out and pulled Sam close by the hand and hugged him tight. She could feel him trembling in her embrace, but she didn't mention it. She merely held him and gave him the support that he needed—that he had always given her when she had needed it. "...I'm sorry," she whispered before stepping back and looking up at him. She took time to really look at him, seeing his healthy skin and the bag-less eyes and his perfect posture; he had come so far, and now he was just falling back into the life he had tried to escape.

Forcing herself to smile, the 20-year-old nodded, holding Sam by the arms and giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Well, I'll walk you guys out." Sam nodded, heading out of her bedroom and down the hall to the stairs. He glanced back at Jayne before he cleared his throat, trying to switch the subject to something that was less disheartening.

"You're welcome to come with, you know." Jayne smiled at the offer. "I know Dean obviously wouldn't care, and I think it'd be nice to know you have our backs."

"I'll try and meet you guys up. Bobby already asked me to work a job for him," the female hunter explained with a sigh. "And anyways, this will be good for you and Dean." Sam blinked, reaching the bottom of the staircase and turning to give Jayne a confused look.

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean, this will be a good time for you two to catch up and work things out." There were still a lot of unsaid things between the brothers that needed to be addressed.

"So go out, find your dad, and make sure to call me so I know you're alive." Sam chuckled and then nodded.

"We wouldn't have to call you if you wouldn't be so damn stubborn and just came with us." Jayne smirked as she looked to the front door, Dean walking in with a flippant smile on his face.

"I already told you—"

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time." Looking at Sam, Dean raised a brow, his younger brother nodding in return. He looked back at Jayne and forced himself to smile. He then stepped forward for one last hug.

"I'll see you around, Jaynie."

"Be safe." Sam nodded before he pulled the hood of his sweater up over his head and sprinted out to the impala. Dean, already soaked from when he packed the car, gazed after him before he turned his attention back to the young woman.

"Last chance to runaway with us."

"Bobby would just kick my ass and your ass."

"I wouldn't push it past him." Jayne chuckled before her expression fell, a concerned look taking over.

" _Please,_ take care of each other." Dean stared at her before he smiled and nodded, placing his hand on the top of her head.

"You got it."

"And _please_ , be safe, Dean." The man didn't reply to that. He merely pulled Jayne into a tight hug, one hand weeded into her hair while the other was wrapped tightly around her waist. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply; the smell of her shampoo always seemed to make him feel at ease.

After a moment, Dean pulled back, staring down at Jayne before he gave her a stern look. "Take your own advice, Jaynie." Said woman laughed before she nodded, resisting the urge to grab on to Dean once more as he stepped away. He lingered in the doorway for a second, his eyes never leaving hers, and then he was running out to his car.

Listening to the way the impala roared to life, Jayne watched silently as the black car slowly pulled out from the gravel driveway and sped down the road. The young woman remained standing for a few more seconds, letting the last few days process in her mind. Slowly, she walked out to the porch, her hair sticking to her face and her clothes clinging to her body in a matter of seconds.

For the next hour, Jayne remained seated in the rain.

 **February 28, 2006**

"You still keep in touch with your college buddies?"

Sam and Dean had been on the road for several weeks straight. It was hunt-after-hunt, motel-after-motel, diner-after-diner. And although Sam had grown up through this same routine, being out of the game for a while made jumping back into it a bit more difficult. Still, he didn't complain and focused on what his purpose was; helping others, finding his father and then finding the thing that had killed his mother and Jess.

Currently, he and his brother were stopped at a gas station. Although he knew he should have been more focused on what Dean was saying, the curiosity of his old life and how the people from it were doing got the best of him. And so, he opened up his email to see what exactly was going on. A few friends were still sending him condolence emails about Jess; he skipped right past those. A handful of others sent him funny little messages either with stories about what he was missing in class or about things that were happening on campus.

But there was one specific email that had truly caught his eyes.

Before reading more into what his friend had sent him, Sam let Dean's words register fully into his mind before his brows furrowed. "Why wouldn't I?" He leaned his head out the opened window of the impala in order to look back at his older brother—who leaned down at the end of his car in order to fill his baby up.

"Well, what exactly do you tell 'em about, _you know_ , what you've been doing?"

"I just tell them I'm on a road trip with my big brother," Sam answered offhandedly. "I tell them I needed some time off after Jess." Dean made a face of mock-realization as he nodded his head.

"So you lie to them."

"...No. I just don't tell them _everything_."

"Yeah, that's called _lying_." Sam rolled his eyes. "But I get it. Telling the truth is way worse than lying," Dean stated dryly as his younger brother let out an exasperated sigh.

"So what am I supposed to do? Just cut everyone out of my life?" Dean mulled the idea over in his head before he shrugged. Sam blinked, surprised at that reaction. "You're serious?"

"Look, it sucks, but a job like this—you can't be close with people, period." Sam stared at Dean before he narrowed his eyes.

"What about Jaynie?" That made Dean pause.

"What about her?" the older hunter asked as if his brother had asked him the dumbest question of all time.

"We're close with her," Sam pointed out before Dean removed the nozzle from his gas tank and stuck it back where it belonged.

"That's completely different."

"Because she's a hunter."

"Exactly."

"Okay, then what if she wasn't?" Dean blinked, turning to give his brother a puzzled look. "What if she was exactly the same kind of person—same personality, same annoying traits, same great traits—but she wasn't a hunter. We just cut her out too?" Dean thought hard for a moment, surprising Sam; he hadn't expected the 27-year-old to take the idea so seriously.

Shaking his head, Dean walked around the front of his car before he sat back inside. "No. Cutting Jayne out is never an option." And Sam could see it in his eyes—just how serious he was about that.

Deciding to drop the topic, Sam turned his attention back to the email he had originally been trying to read while Dean turned the ignition to his car. He thought back to the idea of having to cut Jayne out of his life, and he nearly cringed; a life without Jayne almost made no sense to the man.

Sam's sharp intake of breath broke Dean from his thoughts as he looked to his younger brother and raised a brow. "What is it?"

"A friend of mine from school—Rebecca, she sent me this email about her brother..."

 **March 2, 2006**

" _Well, from what you just told me, it could be a few things. Doppleganger could be a possibility_."

"That's what we were thinking."

" _Can I ask a question now_?"

"Shoot."

" _Why the hell are you calling me at three in the morning?_ " Dean blinked before he pulled his phone away to check the time. He smirked, clearing his throat when he placed the phone back to the side of his face.

"Where are you again?"

" _Oregon City._ "

"Whoops."

Sam had woken Dean up at the crack of dawn, dressed and ready to work. The older Winchester had tried his best to convince his younger brother to give him a few more hours, but after going back and forth with each other for several minutes, Dean relented and tore himself from his bed. He threw on a set of clothes and rushed to brush his teeth and wash his face; the sooner he got coffee in him, the sooner he'd be able to function properly.

He'd driven to the nearest coffee shop, and after ordering his drink, Sam stated that he was going to use the bathroom. Dean merely waved his brother off, waiting impatiently for his coffee. And after waiting for a few minutes, the young man thoughtlessly pulled his phone out, dialing a phone number without even asking himself why.

After three rings, Dean was greet by a loud and croaky groan and a sluggish "Hello?" from Jayne; and now here they were.

Sighing, the woman shut her eyes, doing her best not to fall asleep on the phone with her friend. " _What dragged you to Oregon City?_ " she heard Dean ask.

"A small nest of vamps who were feeding off of kids." That made the 27-year-old narrow his eyes.

" _Fucking blood-suckers._ " Jayne nodded, but didn't vocally reply, the sound of Dean's voice lulling her slowly back to sleep. " _I'm guessing you took care of it?_ "

"Obviously."

" _Good. And you're still in one piece?_ "

"Awe, I didn't know you cared so much." Jayne yawned, smiling at the sound of her fellow hunter scoffing.

" _Shut up_." Moments after that, Jayne opened an eye, the sound of Sam's voice in the background catching her attention. She tried to make out what he was saying, but it was difficult when he so far away.

"Who you talking to?" Sam inquired to his brother as he returned from the bathroom, Dean showing the 22-year-old the number on the screen. Immediately, a smile spread across the younger Winchester's face.

"Hey, Jaynie."

" _Sammy, next time if you're gonna wake Dean up early, make sure he doesn't have his phone to call me and wake me up too_ ," the girl scolded playfully. Sam chuckled, nodding at her request.

"I'll do my best, but can't make any promises." The eldest Winchester shook his head before he placed the phone back to his ear.

"Alright, you big baby. Go back to sleep." Sam watched as Dean smiled slightly, nodding his head. "...When am I not?" The man chuckled at whatever the female hunter was saying. "Yeah, yeah. Sweet dreams, Jaynie." And with that, he hung up.

"What was that about?" Sam asked curiously as Dean raised a brow, confused by the question.

"What'd you mean?"

"Dean, how many times a week do you call Jayne?" The hunter shrugged, not thinking too much on it.

"I don't know. How many times do _you_ call her a week?"

"Not as much as you, I'm guessing."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Before Sam could retort back, his name was called, his and Dean's coffee ready; whatever he was about to say had been forgotten.

"Alright, let's go check this out." Dean sighed, taking a long sip of his drink before he let out a satisfied hum. He quickly followed after his younger brother, glancing down at his cup before he paused. He blinked at the phone number written with a name, and he quickly looked back at the barista—who was smiling back at him and throwing him a quick wink. He smirked before nodding, heading out the door and catching up to his brother.

Guess his morning wasn't turning out so bad.

* * *

His head ached. His body was almost entirely numb, and it was difficult for him to breathe; with rope tied securely around his neck, it made it difficult for Sam to comfortably take even a single gasp.

"Where is he?" the young man asked as he glared at the shapeshifter who was merely impersonating his brother. "Where's Dean?"

"I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry about you," the fake Dean stated smoothly. Sam tensed, instinctively pulling on his bindings and trying to free himself.

"Where is he?" the Winchester asked once more, the shapeshifter looking back at him as he walked past.

"You _really_ don't want to know." He then began to continue packing, going about his business as if nothing was astray. Sam stared with rage burning in his eyes, Dean scoffing as he looked back at him.

"I swear, the more I learn about you and your family..." Sam watched the imitation shake his head while he approached a wooden table and began stuffing a few things inside his bag once more. "I thought _I_ came from a bad background." Sam thought about the creature's words for a moment before his brows furrowed.

"What do you mean, learn? _"_ Tensing, the 22-year-old swallowed, the shapeshifter holding up a long dagger and examining it closely. He then looked at Sam, smirking before wincing in pain. Sam watched intently, taken slightly aback by the scene playing out before him. Suddenly, the moment passed, the look-a-like staring at Sam before he let out a whistle.

"He sure got issues with you." Sam felt a jab of pain in his chest at that. "You got to go to college. He had to stay home—I mean, _I_ had to stay home." The shapeshifter smirked, approaching Sam and standing before him; it was eerie, just how well he seemed to be getting Dean's character down.

"You don't think I had dreams of my own?" Sam tried not to let the small pang of guilt grow. He reminded himself that this was merely a creature—not Dean. Yet, he couldn't help himself as he stared up at the face of his older brother. "But dad needed me. Where the hell were you?"

"Where. Is. My. Brother?"

"I'm your brother," the shapeshifter whispered as he leaned in close and gazed deeply into the younger Winchester's eyes. They gazed intently at one another before the imposter narrowed his eyes.

"You see, deep down, I'm just jealous," he began. "You got friends, you could have a life. Me? The only thing I've got is Jaynie, and even then, I have to share her with you—the one who left her behind and ignored her whenever you felt like it. But she always made excuses for you. No matter what, she just always had to defend you...And I honestly hate it. You were never there for her like I was. You don't know her like I do. You don't _care_ about her like I do." Sam swallowed, slightly shocked at just how attached Dean seemed to be to their childhood friend. Perhaps it was just the shapeshifter twisting his brother's thoughts; or perhaps his brother's feelings for Jayne weren't the way Sam thought they had been.

Dean leaned in closer, his gaze hardening. "No matter what, she'll never understand that. And just like everyone else, she'll leave me." It was hard for Sam to swallow the shapeshifter's words. He continued to tell himself that this person in front of him wasn't his brother—that it was a trick, but he couldn't get the logic in his mind to connect with the emotions in his heart; he was beginning to feel pity for the imposter.

"What'd you mean?" Sam asked quietly while Dean scoffed, standing up tall and walking away so he could take a seat by the small fire he had created.

"You left me. Hell, I did _everything_ dad ever told me to do, and he still left me too—no explanation, nothing! Just _whoo._ " The disdain in Dean's voice was very obvious as he glowered at Sam. "...He left me with your sorry-ass."

Sam was unsure of how to feel. He knew that this man in front of him was not his brother, but the way he spoke and the way his words seemed to be filled with such anguish and pain—it was hard for him to doubt that Dean was truly sitting before him; it was just all too real.

The younger Winchester stiffened when Dean stood to his feet, pulling a tarp along with him. He approached the bound man, smirking as he nodded his head. "Still, this life? It's not without its perks. I mean, I meet the nicest people!" Dean said with a chortle. "Like little Becky." Sam's jaw clenched at the mention of his friend's name while Dean took note of his reaction.

"You know, Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let's see what happens."

 **March 9, 2006**

"I can't let you two go anywhere without supervision!" Dean and Sam rolled their eyes as Jayne glared at them, the three sitting outside at a cafe. The young woman slammed the article she had read on to the table top, the eldest Winchester leaning forward to get a better look at it. "I mean, this is something you should have told me about! I had to read about this in the goddamn paper?!"

"Relax, Jaynie. It wasn't _actually_ me," Dean pointed out, reading further about his "death". His words failed to calm the dark haired woman down as she glared harder at him.

"I _thought_ it was! I can't even believe you!"

"Stop acting like my babysitter," the 27-year-old snapped while Sam sighed, leaning back in his chair and letting the two hash things out on their own.

"Well, I wouldn't have to act like one if you didn't act like you were some rookie, dumbass!" Jayne was fuming.

She had read about Dean's case through the newspaper. She had been searching for new hunts on her way back from Oregon when she had stumbled across the urgent news of a serial killer nearly getting caught and then found dead; Dean Winchester. The second her eyes had found his name, she immediately began calling the brothers. Her anxiety shot through the roof when neither answered, but when Sam finally called her back and explained what had happened, she was filled—first—with relief, then with rage.

"And I mean, I expect this sort of thing from Dean, but you, Sam?"

"Hey!" Dean's indignant cry went unnoticed.

"I would've thought you'd call me and at least let me know everything was okay!" Sam smiled sheepishly before he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah. That was my fault. Sorry about that, Jaynie." The woman glared from one brother to another before she let her shoulders sag and her racing heart slow. Her facial expression softened, Dean relieved that her episode was finally over.

"Yeah, well, you guys better be lucky I love you so much or else I'd kick your asses." Dean scoffed, but quickly winced afterwards, Jayne kicking him solidly in the shin. He shot her a glare but let the motion slide, deciding that he had put the young woman through enough already—even if it was accidental.

"You know what they say—everything happens for a reason." The 20-year-old let out an exasperated breath while Dean smiled cheekily to her. "Seeing as you're here, you might as well look into this next hunt with us." Sam glanced to his brother, taking note of the way his eyes gleamed at the thought. He then looked back to Jayne, the young woman mulling the idea over in her head before she reluctantly shrugged.

"Well, Bobby's got nothing for me, and I was searching for another lead on a hunt before I drove here, so I guess—"

"It's settled, then." Jayne gave the oldest hunter a deadpanned stare while Dean turned his laptop towards his brother and friend.

"Wait, before we do this, I need to pee." Standing up, Jayne scurried into the coffee shop, both of the Winchesters looking back at her before Sam looked to his brother. He stared intently for a few seconds, recalling what the shapeshifter had said to him. And although it hadn't technically been his brother, Sam was beginning to see that there was a possibility that the creature's words had some truth to them.

"What're you staring like that for?" Dean inquired, having done his best to ignore his younger brother's intense gaze. Sam blinked, freed from his thoughts, and he quickly shook his head while taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"I was just thinking."

"About what?" the older hunter asked. Sam swallowed a lump in his throat, trying to decide whether or not confronting his brother about what had been said would be a good idea or not.

"...Just about where dad could be." He opted to remain quiet; after all, ignorance is bliss.

* * *

 **Hello! Chapter two out, and I'm happy to say that it didn't take me forever to update like it has been as of late. For whoever is reading this story, please do not hold it against me if it takes me longer to post chapters. I apologize ahead of time just because it may happen more often than I would like, but I only thought it'd be fair if readers are warned earlier than later LOL.**

 **So, for starters, each chapter has an excerpt of song lyrics that fit the chapter and the story as a whole. Just a little thing I wanted to try out with writing this story! And as the story progresses, the chapters will go by dates, rather than episodes of the series. I felt it would be easier to write the story and fit more in to each chapter. If there's anything that I need to improve on or should change or fix, please feel free to let me know! I am always open to feedback and advice!**

 **Thank you to those who decided to give this story a chance! Thank you for reading, favoriting and following! I appreciate the chance given and the support!**

 **Reviews:**

 **SPN:** Hello! Thank you for reading and reviewing! Appreciate you taking the time to read my story! I don't want to reveal too much of how much will be the same and how much will change, but seeing as this story is going to be branched from the series with Dean not going to hell, you may already know that _a lot_ will be changed LOL Thank you so much, again, for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any characters associated with the series**

 **Chapter Three: King and Lionheart II**

 _And as the world comes to an end_

 _I'll be there to hold your hand_

' _Cause you're a king and I'm a lionheart_

 **March 30, 2006**

It was rainy and chilly out, the dark gray clouds blocking any sort of sunlight from the day. Puddles formed in miscellaneous areas of the ground as a lone woman limped through them, leaving an almost non-existent trail of red in her wake. The patter of the drizzle was mixed with the sound of heavy breathing, a shrill scratching sound almost loud enough to cover it all.

"Shit," Jayne muttered as she finally reached her car and flung the door open. She held her side tightly and shook her head, irritated that she had let a kitsune nearly get the best of her. Still, she was glad to have gotten out of the situation with just that single wound; the kitsune hadn't been so lucky.

Taking a seat in her 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Hemi, the hunter groaned, pulling her hand away and grimacing at the red that stained her fingers. She then leaned forward, looking back and groaning more; Bobby had just fixed this car up, and now he was going to have to change the upholstery. "Just fucking great," the woman muttered before she jumped, the sudden ring of her cell phone catching her off guard. She thought about ignoring the call in order to patch herself up, but she sighed and decided against that.

"Hello?"

"... _Hey, Jaynie._ " Said woman blinked as she recognized Dean's voice. But he didn't sound like himself. Something was amiss.

"Dean? What's wrong?"

" _Nothing,_ " the 27-year-old said, his voice somewhat returning to the usual deep and devil-may-care tone it carried. " _Just checking on you. That's all._ " Hesitantly, Jayne nodded.

"Just finished a hunt. Goddamned Kitsune almost got me."

" _How bad is it?_ " Dean asked.

"How bad is wha—"

" _D_ _on't play stupid, Jayne._ " Said woman sighed.

"I'll only need a few stitches."

" _This is why you shouldn't hunt on your own,_ " the eldest Winchester snapped while Jayne rolled her eyes. " _If it's not me or Sammy, then at least take Bobby with you_."

"I'm a grown woman, Dean. I can take care of myself—have been since I was fourteen, thank you," the woman snidely remarked back. "And you know I hate working with other people on hunts."

" _Well, then cover your ass like you don't need someone there to do it for you_ ," he barked, causing Jayne to frown; something was really wrong with him.

"...Dean, seriously. What's wrong?" She could tell just by the sound of his voice that something was weighing him down.

With a heavy sigh, Dean replied back with " _Nothing's wrong, Jaynie_." But the woman was smarter than to believe him.

"Listen, Dean. I hate to act like a bitch, but if you're not going to tell me what's wrong, then I'm hanging up." Her voice was stern—almost cold, but sometimes she had no other choice; sometimes talking to Dean meant pushing him to that point.

"... _Jayne..._ " And then he told her. He unloaded the weight of his fears for Sam and the weight of this possible case in Lawrence off on to Jayne, and she took it all. She took everything he said and listened so closely—forgetting that she was in pain and forgetting that she still needed to give herself stitches. All she could think about was the look of sorrow on Dean's face as he spoke and the way his voice trembled as he explained to her that he had no other choice but to return home. " _I keep telling myself I'm stronger than this_ — _that I can deal with this like I've done with harder hunts but..._ " Jayne's brows furrowed at the way Dean seemed to sound so disappointed and angry with himself.

" _I tried calling my dad. He still hasn't answered. I don't know what the hell he's doing or why he still won't get back to me or Sammy, but I just want him to be here_." The 20-year-old's eyes suddenly gleamed with determination as she carefully leaned over to the glove compartment and pulled out her sewing kit.

"Where're you staying?"

" _Where_ — _why the hell do you need to know that?_ "

"I'm coming to Lawrence. I think I'm about five hours away. _"_

" _Jaynie, no. That's not_ —"

"I'm not asking for permission," the younger hunter stated bluntly before she pulled out a needle from her kit and then a lighter. "Even if you don't tell me where you're staying, I'll find you."

" _Jayne, I'm serious! Don't you even think about_ —"

"See you in a few hours, Dean."

" _Jayne!_ " Before he could go on, said woman hung up on him without a second thought.

"Alright, Jaynie. Let's get this patched up and ready to go." Lighting the end of the needle and burning the end, the hunter took a deep breath, glancing down at her wound and frowning. "Shit, this is gonna hurt."

 **April 1, 2006**

Her entire side burned, though the pain had subsided since the night before. She refrained from moving her left arm too much, not wanting to rip her stitches open like she had done when she had been helping Sam and Dean with the poltergeist; it was going to take double the time to heal, now.

"Be sure not to do too much for the next few weeks." Smiling at the woman who had patched her up, Jayne nodded, stepping out of Dean and Sam's old home; it was strange, being in the place where their story of hunting began.

"Thanks for your help. Me and the boys wouldn't have been able to do this without you, Missouri." Said woman smiled widely, pulling Jayne into a hug as she shook her head.

"I'm glad I was able to help them," she stated while stepping away from the injured hunter. "You make sure to keep an eye on them, now." Jayne chuckled before she nodded, looking back at Dean and Sam—who were exiting their home and saying goodbye to Jenny.

"Don't worry. I'll keep them out of trouble." Missouri nodded before she her expression fell, her eyes softening. She reached out and grabbed the girl's hand, holding it tightly.

"And you make sure to take care of yourself, too." That caught the 20-year-old off guard.

"O—Of course I will."

"Good. Those boys would be lost without you." Jayne tried not to linger on the sadness in the psychic's eyes.

"Hey, Jaynie. You ready?" Looking away from Missouri at the sound of Dean's voice, the younger hunter smiled and nodded—whatever apprehension she had been feeling now forgotten.

"Thanks again for your help," Dean said to the psychic as she smiled to him and nodded, grabbing his arm and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Of course. You two be safe—and don't be strangers," she stated as the 27-year-old nodded. He began to walk away once his arm was released, Jayne following beside him. She stole one last glance at the woman before she looked to the small chest in Dean's arms.

"Can I see some pictures?" she asked curiously as Dean glanced at her. He thought about it before he shrugged, setting the chest down on the trunk of his impala and opening the top. He then quietly watched as his friend reached inside and grabbed a small pile of photos from his nearly-forgotten past. A warmth spread through his chest at the way Jayne smiled at the pictures as she flipped through them.

"You and Sammy were adorable," she stated with a wide smile. "...Your mom was beautiful." Dean didn't reply, but he nodded; he was afraid his voice would fail him if he spoke.

Carefully, Jayne set the photos back inside the chest before Dean placed the entire thing in the back of his car. He sighed, looking back at the house to see Sam and Missouri talking to each other; he assumed they were saying goodbye. He looked back to Jayne and raised a brow, placing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. An inexplicable moment of awkwardness swelled inside of the young man as he gazed at his friend, gratefulness and appreciation blooming inside of him at her presence.

"What now, for you?" The young woman shrugged as she leaned against the black car and thought.

"I'll probably head back to Bobby's and see how he's doing. He's like a cat—can maintain himself for a few days, but needs to be checked on after awhile." Dean smirked at the analogy before his expression dropped. He gazed at Jayne with a blank look before he cleared his throat, looking down at the concrete before he met her gaze once more.

"Thanks, Jayne."

"For what?" she asked, a genuine sense of confusion overcoming her.

"For coming here—For helping us when you didn't have to." Dean rubbed his face with his hands before he let out a tired breath. "We owe you for that." The young woman smiled and waved his statement off.

"Dean, there will never be a time where I am not there for you two." She smiled reassuringly before she reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You guys would do to the same for me." Dean nodded before he looked to the side, pulling Jayne into an embrace. He rested his head on top of hers, holding her tightly while she wrapped her own arms around him and leaned her head against his chest.

"Make sure to cover your ass."

"I will." Stepping away, the female hunter nodded, looking to Sam as he finally strolled up to them.

"You leaving now?"

"Looks like it." Sam smiled as he opened his arms, Jayne chuckling and hugging him tightly.

"Be safe, alright?" the 22-year-old commanded. He pulled away and held his friend by her shoulders, giving her a firm look. "And if you need anything—"

"—Call. I know," Jayne stated before she pulled her keys out from her coat pocket and began to make her way to her car. She stopped at the door and looked back at the brothers before she smiled and waved, both of them waving back to her and watching as she got into her car and eventually drove off into the distance.

Soon after, they were off, too.

 **A** **pril 19, 2006**

Dean yawned as he waited for Sam to grab their breakfast inside of his baby. He tapped his hands against the steering wheel to the beat of "Hotel California", muttering a few of the lyrics to himself before his ringtone caught his attention. Not bothering to look at the caller i.d., the young man answered with a "Before you start yelling at me about not calling you back, I was in the middle of being a sacrifice and—"

" _Dean? What the hell're you talkin' about?_ " The hunter abruptly stopped at the gruff and manly voice that greeted him from the other end of the line. He blinked before he pulled the phone away to look at the name; it was Bobby.

"Sorry, Bobby. Thought you were Jaynie."

" _Balls_." That confused the younger hunter.

"What's wrong?"

" _I was callin' you to see if you'd talked to or seen Jaynie in the last few days._ " The young man tried not to break into a fit of panic before he turned the volume to his music down.

"I talked to her on the phone a few days ago while I was on a hunt, but I haven't heard from her since." The heavy sigh made Dean frown.

" _She left here about a week ago for a hunt in Tennessee._ "

"Where in Tennessee?" the 27-year-old questioned, a solemn gleam appearing in his green eyes.

" _Jackson,_ " Bobby said while Dean's eyes glanced over to his approaching brother; finally, the food had arrived.

"Me and Sammy'll head towards Jackson and see what we can find."

" _The second you hear from her or get a hold of her, you call me, boy._ "

"You got it. We'll find her, Bobby." And with that, Dean hung up. Sam watched as his brother immediately began peeling out of the diner lot with an intense amount of vigor.

"Dean, what the hell's going on?"

"We're going to Tennessee."

"What? Why?" The tense driver looked to Sam, a solemn look on his face.

"We have to find Jayne."

 **April 16, 2006**

"Look, I can do this all day. I don't really care how long it takes. So, I'll give you this one opportunity to just tell me what you know." Jayne stood before her captive, her arms crossed over her chest while she gazed down with a cold and determined gleam in her eyes.

The abandoned farm she had taken over was dingy and nearly falling apart, but it was the perfect place for what the young woman planned to do. It was isolated from town with nothing but trees for miles; no one would be able to see or hear what she planned on doing.

"You know what I say?" Jayne remained silent as the man tied to a chair smirked up at her. "I say, fuck you." Reflexively, the 20-year-old splashed the man's face with water, watching with slight satisfaction as he hissed and tried to shake the water off.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

She had gotten wind of a possible demonic possession in Tennessee, and she had jumped at the opportunity to hunt it. She didn't waste any time, hopping into her car and driving nearly thirteen hours straight, and when she had arrived, it took her little-to-no time to find the demon. Capturing him was a different story; it had taken her a full week to get where she was now.

With her demon caught in a devil's trap.

"I know you know."

"Of course I know."

"Then just tell me and make this easier for yourself."

"Now, why would I do that when I can just make it harder _for you._ " Jayne glared icily before she stepped into the trap she'd painted on the floor—careful with not smudging the symbol—and jammed her thumb and index finger into the man's cheeks and prying his mouth open. Without hesitation or remorse, the hunter poured her bottle of holy water into the demon's mouth, watching with a glimmer of malice in her eyes as he choked and cried in pain.

Stepping back, the woman gave her captive a moment while he spat whatever water he could out of his mouth, sputtering and gasping like a fish out of water while he tried to compose himself. He glared at Jayne, who merely smirked happily back at him. "You're as nuts as the bitch was."

"You're damn straight I am," Jayne stated evenly before she leaned in close and narrowed her eyes. "That _is_ my mother you're talking about."

* * *

Gasps filled the silence as a moan of agony followed after. Snickering mixed with the grunts of pain, brown eyes shining with anticipation; Jayne was getting so close to breaking the demon to pieces. "Are you ready? Or am I going to keep doing this?"

With heavy panting, the demon looked up, glaring with every once of fury he could. "When I'm free, I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been born."

"Well, little did you know—" Jayne narrowed her eyes as she leaned in close to the possessed man's face. "—I already wish that." And then she plunged the knife she'd soaked in holy water into the man's thigh. She ignored the rush of her blood as she listened to his shrieks, her hand gripping tightly to the hilt of the blade.

"Now, tell me who killed my mother!" she yelled over his cries, twisting the knife and making him throw his head back and writhe as much as the ropes allowed him to.

"I can't, you crazy bitch!"

"To hell with that! You're gonna tell me or else I'll just keep going!" she barked, yanking the knife hazardously from his leg. She watched intently as he panted, trying to catch his breath and gain back some of the composure he had lost. He slowly lifted his head and glared at her, shaking his head.

"I tell you, and he'll do things worse to me than you'll ever be capable of." Jayne's jaw clenched, but she did a good job of masking the frustration she was feeling. She then stood upright, standing a few steps back before she relaxed, giving the demon a smirk.

"Well, then I guess we're done here." Without skipping a beat, Jayne began to recite the exorcism. The demon stiffened as he suddenly felt his body burn and his breath getting caught in his throat. He then began to gag, his head spinning and a sharp pain shooting through his temple.

"Stop!" he hollered, Jayne ignoring his plea and continuing with the ritual. "I said stop, whore!" Still, he was ignored.

Suddenly, the demon gasped, yelling in pain as black smoke rose from his mouth. It shot through the air, disappearing into the ceiling and leaving the hunter on her own with her dark thoughts. She stood tall, and gazed at the helpless corpse that was now limp where the demon had been. She grumbled to herself before she abruptly kicked the chair back, knocking it to the ground with a pent-up amount of fury.

Without another word, Jayne turned and marched out of the barn, leaving everything else behind.

 **April 21, 2006**

"You sure this is the place?"

"The GPS on her phone led us here. Plus, she used the alias of Judy Lee and paid for the room with cash. It's gotta be her."

Dean and Sam headed towards the motel room at the end of the stretch. The younger Winchester frowned as he glanced over at his brother, Dean glowering as he led the way. He could tell that his brother was extremely worried—he had been since he had gotten off the phone with Bobby. And Sam couldn't blame him. It was alarming that their friend would suddenly go missing. She was always so good with keeping Bobby updated on where she was and when she would be back, hell, she was even better with keeping Dean in the loop. But now that Sam had thought about it, it had been almost a week since they had last heard from Jayne; she normally talked to Dean and Sam twice a week.

Stopping in front of the door, Dean knocked firmly three times. The pair waited, but received no answer. The two exchanged looks before Dean knocked three more times. When no one answered, Sam quickly pulled out his lock-picking set, getting to work. Dean was sure to keep an eye out for anyone who could see. Within a couple of seconds, the 22-year-old had the door open, and they were striding into the room.

"Jayne?" Dean called out before he blinked, his nose wrinkling at the obscene smell of alcohol in the room. "Jesus Christ!" the older hunter mumbled as he then scanned the room, seeing bottles and bottles of random vodkas and rums and bourbons. He grimaced before looking to Sam, his younger brother frowning deeply; what the hell was going on with Jayne?

"Jaynie?" Sam called out as he began to venture further into the room. He approached the door to the far end of the other side of the room, swiftly opening it. He relaxed when he merely found an empty closet. But when he heard his brother call out his name, his relief was forgotten.

"Dean, what—" Sam came to an abrupt stop, Dean knelt down beside Jayne, who had her head hanging in the toilet. She made an incoherent groan, trying her best to push Dean away, but he was sure to keep a firm grip on her arm and keep his free arm around her shoulders.

"Get her other side." Sam did as his brother directed, rushing to Jayne's left side and hoisting her up to her feet with Dean's help. The two watched as Jayne shook her head, her feeble attempts to free herself from them almost pitiful. The young men ignored her as she tried to speak, her words slurred and incomprehensible. By the time they made it to the bed, Jayne had her eyes forced open, and the Winchesters were taken aback at how bloodshot they looked.

"Go the _fuck_ 'way," she blurted out, trying to sit up but failing when Dean merely pushed her back down. He glared at the 20-year-old as she swatted his hand away. "Nobody told you to be here," she said with half-lidded eyes, the two brothers barely managing to understand a single word she said. Sam remained silent, letting Dean deal with the chaos that was Jayne; he wasn't even sure if his brother could help, at this point.

"Just stay in bed, Jayne. You're done," the 27-year-old ordered sternly while Jayne glared at him, though it was hard for her to focus when her head was spinning.

"Don't—" Immediately, the woman sat up, covering her mouth as she made a gagging sound from deep within her throat. Dean was quick to react, grabbing the nearest garbage can and holding it to the edge of the bed. Jayne then leaned over, puking into the can, both Dean and Sam cringing at the sight.

"Sammy, water," Dean called out as he reached for Jayne's black hair and held it back for her while she coughed and vomited once more. Sam nodded, glancing around before he headed to the door; there was no water in the room, so the vending machine was the next best option.

As the door clicked shut, Dean remained where he was, Jayne coughing once more before she spit, shaking her head. She let out a disgusted groan while her companion nodded, understanding the feeling she was going through; he'd had his fair share of long drinking nights. He sighed, watching as Jayne slowly sat up, reaching out to the nightstand and wiping her mouth with a shirt that had been thrown aimlessly. After using it, she tossed it aside and instantly reached for Dean, catching him by surprise. He stiffened as her arms wrapped around him, her head buried in his chest, and within seconds he could feel hot tears soaking into his shirt. His eyes widened before he quickly wrapped his arms around her, expressing his support through his actions as best as he could.

"Jaynie—"

"I don't want to hear you talk," she snapped into his shirt, keeping her face and her tears and all the pain hidden from him. "Just let me do this," she begged with a feeble and weak voice, Dean's gaze softening as he looked up at the sound of the door opening. Sam walked in but paused when he heard Jayne sob into his brother. He gave his brother a wide-eyed gaze before he slowly walked fully into the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

And for the next hour, Jayne cried.

 **April 23, 2006**

"I'm sorry, Bobby."

" _You'll be more than sorry once I see you, you little idjit_." Jayne smiled, the concern in Bobby's voice very obvious. She let out a sigh while she rubbed her head, the migraine she was going through making her way to lay back down and sleep some more.

She slept almost the entire day away the day before. She'd woken up only once around five o'clock to the smell of greasy food. She'd been shell-shocked when she found Sam sitting at the table by the window reading and eating while Dean was seated beside her on the bed, munching on curly fries and watching TV. Realizing that they must have seen her at her worst, Jayne became flushed with embarrassment and decided to keep quiet. The only reason Dean and Sam even knew she had woken up was due to the way the bed shifted and creaked from her sitting up and trying to stand, and the way she gasped, her entire body sore and her head spinning and aching.

With Dean's help, Jayne was able to sit at the table across from Sam and eat what food they'd bought for her. She let out a relieved moan, everything tasting better due to the condition she was in. Sam smiled at that, his expression dropping, though, when he recalled the way she had behaved before. He'd tried to bring it up—tried to make her talk about whatever had gotten her in that state, but she didn't speak. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was speaking. She merely ate her food and sipped on her soda before she stood up and hobbled back to the bed. Sam frowned after her, Dean nearly glaring a hole into the woman as she came back over and rolled right back into bed where she had been. She could feel the older Winchester's burning gaze, but she did well to ignore it, knowing that if she looked at him and saw his face, she would have to have some type of conversation with him; she wasn't emotionally or mentally prepared for any of that.

When she'd woken up the next morning, the sun was seeping through the blinds that had been opened for her, and the rays of the sun filled the room with an unexpected warmth. Jayne glanced around her room, finding Dean and Sam's bags still sitting around, but the boys themselves gone. She let out a sigh of relief before she stood up and began to get herself ready for the day—showering, brushing her teeth, washing her face and changing into clothes that didn't smell like sweat, vomit and booze. After that, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number to the first person she always called.

And so, her conversation with Bobby began.

" _What the hell sort of hunt were you on, anyways?_ " The old man inquired while Jayne shrugged.

"I was hunting a demon."

" _Demon? No wonder it took you so long to call. You shouldn't be huntin' demons alone, Jaynie._ " The woman relaxed, glad she had no further explaining to do.

"I know. I learned my lesson, trust me, Bobby."

" _Well, I'm just glad you're with the boys now_." Jayne blinked at that.

"Dean and Sam, you mean?"

" _Yeah, they called me earlier, said somethin' about you being tired over the last hunt and just needed some sleep_." The woman's expression softened as guilt came over her, entirely; they had lied for her.

Suddenly, the door to the now tidied room opened, Sam and Dean walking in with coffee and food. Jayne smiled at them briefly before she turned her attention to Bobby. "Alright, well I'm gonna go. I'll be back in a few days, tops."

" _Take care of yourself, Jaynie. No more disappearin' acts. You hear me?_ " The young hunter chuckled and nodded before flipping her phone shut and letting out a tired breath.

"Thanks for the coffee, I need this." Jayne ignored the way the two gazed at her—as if waiting for her to address the elephant in the room; that wasn't happening. "What'd you get to eat? Please don't tell me you guys got pancakes because you know I _hate_ pancakes."

If the boys didn't know better, they would have thought Jayne was completely fine. She was acting as she always did, smiling at them and joking with them. The air around her was now back to its brightness and lightness, and the glow that had been missing for the last few days had returned fully; it was as if those days had never even happened. But they had, and Dean and Sam had seen it all. They had seen Jayne in a way they had never known she could be, and they couldn't just forget that. Or rather, they _wouldn't_ ever forget that.

"Uh, Jaynie?" Sam began gently, catching the woman's attention. She frowned at his concern as she blinked, setting her coffee down.

"What's wrong, Sammy?"

"It's just—Well—You were really..." Sam wasn't sure how to address this. To be honest, other then when her mother had died, Jayne had never needed much comforting. To the boys, she had always taken things in strides and was always so level-headed and calm. It was almost disturbing to have seen her the way she was before—drunk and disheveled and defeated. It didn't suit her well. And Sam wasn't sure at all how he was supposed to go about getting through to her.

"What the hell was that?" Dean seemed to take the more direct path for his answers, his unceremonious methods causing the mood around everyone to darken and shift. "We're not gonna let this fly over our heads, Jayne," he snapped, the woman frowning and her entire demeanor changing.

"Dean—"

" _No_. Don't you ' _Dean_ ' me," he interrupted coldly while he tossed the bag of food aside and shook his head. "You didn't call, you didn't text, you just let whatever was hurting you bottle up, and you drank yourself to shit!" he exclaimed angrily, Sam letting out a sigh as he rubbed his face with his hands.

"Dean—"

"No, Sam. She needs to hear this," Dean barked as he looked to his brother, who grimaced at the rage which was stewing inside of the older man.

"Dean, I get it. I screwed up. I shouldn't have just gone MIA like that."

"Hell no, you shouldn't have," the older hunter nearly hollered. "Bobby thought you'd gone missing during a hunt—which is also one reason why you shouldn't even be hunting on your own!" Dean fought the urge to throw something, keeping his focus on the conversation. "Me and Sammy drove for hours straight to find you, and when we get here, you're a fucking mess," he spat as he motioned to the room with his hand. "Your shit's all over the place, empty bottles of booze everywhere. And then we find you in the fucking bathroom with your head in the toilet."

"What do you want from me, Dean?!" Jayne yelled as she gave her friend an exasperated look.

"We deserve a goddamn explanation!"

"I don't need to explain anything to anyone," the woman snapped before she turned to walk away. Dean growled, quickly reaching out and grabbing her by the wrist in order to stop her.

"You don't get to say that to me. After all this time—after everything we've been through, you don't get to push me away!" Because Dean never did that to her. She was the one he went to when he needed help—when he needed someone. And sure, sometimes it wasn't always the easiest to get the truth out of him, but he never kept Jayne in the dark. And it all scared him and pissed him off because he'd never known Jayne could be this way. He had no idea that she could ever be this distraught enough to drink herself to oblivion. And it made him wonder—what had made her this way, and why didn't he know about it? Why didn't she say anything to him before things had gotten to this point, and what else was she hiding from him?

Standing silently, Jayne swallowed a lump in her throat, tense in Dean's grip. She glanced to Sam, asking for help with her eyes, but he shook his head, agreeing with his brother on this argument; they deserved answers.

"...I don't want to tell you." That shook Dean. His grip on Jayne's arm loosened at her words as his jaw clenched. It was as if every word had stabbed him in the chest, the pain subtle and yet ever so suffocating. He tried to ignore the way his chest closed in on his heart, making it feel as if a hand were holding it and squeezing mercilessly around it.

The older hunter narrowed his eyes, taking a step away—almost as if he were standing too close to a fire. And Jayne could see the hurt in his shining green eyes. And it hurt her. Because when he was in pain, she was in pain; _she_ just normally wasn't the reason for it, and that hurt even more.

"...Fuck you, Jayne." And with that, Dean grabbed his bag and stomped out through door. Jayne remained frozen in her spot, Sam looking from his brother to his friend. He stared at the woman for a few second, but when she avoided eye contact, he felt a pang in his chest; although it wasn't intentional, he felt betrayed. He shook his head, grabbing his bag as well before he headed to the door.

"...I'll call you later." And with that, Sam was gone.

Jayne stood motionlessly for what felt like hours. She tried to make sense of the last few minutes, everything having happened so quickly. And when she realized how badly she had hurt Dean and how far she had just pushed him, she began to cry. She wept and wept and wept, sitting on her bed and gripping tightly to her hair in order to let some of her frustration loose. She was feeling too many things all at once, and she wasn't sure how to swallow it all down. She wasn't even sure if she could. And when she normally felt like this, she called Dean for answers.

But she had a feeling they wouldn't be talking for some time.

 **May 7, 2006**

There was a change in Dean, anyone would have to be blind not to see it. Sam was the one who knew the best that something wasn't right with his older brother. Yet, there was nothing he could do about it. He knew exactly what it was that bothered Dean, but there was no getting it out of him.

It had been a few weeks since the Winchesters had seen or spoken with Jayne. Since meeting with her in Tennessee, she had not bothered calling—except for Sammy's birthday—and Dean had made no acknowledgment of that, whatsoever. The younger brother had tried once to get Dean to express himself about it, but the best he got was "I don't care what the hell she does," and that was the end of it. Still, even with the 27-year-old's bitter words, Sam knew better than to believe him. It was written on his face—etched in the way he moved his body that he was upset with how things had been left off with their friend. They had both been stubborn—Jayne too prideful to let Dean in, and Dean to hard-headed to admit that he had over-reacted; Sam was the only one who seemed to be willing to push everything aside to fix what was broken.

The car ride to Missouri was tense, Sam unsure of whether or not to tease Dean or not. It had been an hour since the older Winchester had received the call from his "old friend", and Sam was dying to throw it in Dean's face; it was clearly not _just_ an old friend asking for help. Still, there was the same stale look on his brother's face that he had been wearing since Tennessee, and the 23-year-old wasn't sure if he had the heart to push his brother. After all, pushing Dean past his limits usually ended with an intense fight.

So they drove in silence for awhile longer, letting the music play out over the radio. But after a few more minutes, Sam found himself unwilling to hold his tongue any longer. "So, her name's Cassie, huh?" he asked innocently while Dean merely nodded keeping his eyes on the road. "Funny, because you've never mentioned her." The 27-year-old shrugged at that.

"Yeah, we went out."

" _You_ went out with someone? For more than a night?" Dean gave his brother an exasperated look as Sam smirked.

"Am I speaking a language you're not understanding?" Sam chuckled while Dean cleared his throat, a heaviness settling in his chest.

"Dad and I were finishing up a job in Athens, Ohio—she was finishing up college, and we went out for a couple of weeks." Suddenly, a question popped into his head, and before he could filter his thoughts, Sam spoke.

"Did Jaynie ever know about her?" Immediately, the air in the car tensed as Sam's expression fell, a frown forming on his lips as he stiffened. He side-glanced at Dean, who clenched his jaw shut and gripped tightly to the steering wheel. Surprisingly enough, the older hunter kept his composure, nodding his head as he quietly answered.

"Yeah, Jaynie was one of the only people to know about her." Wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible, Sam nodded, moving on.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear about her dad, but to me it sounds like he died from a standard car accident. I don't see how it fits what we do." And then, another thought crossed Sam's mind. "Which, by the way, how does she know about what we do?" Dean didn't bother answering, an uncomfortable look coming over him; he knew his brother wouldn't exactly be happy with the answer he had to his question. And judging by the way realization rolled through Sam and a disgruntled expression appeared on his face, Dean knew he had been right.

"You _told_ her?" Sam scoffed in disbelief before he shook his head. "Our big family secret! Rule number one—we do what we do, and we shut up about it!" Dean didn't reply, Sam staring with an annoyed look. "...Dean!"

"Yeah," the hunter muttered as he sighed. "Looks like it."

 **May 8, 2006**

He was anxious. His mind was swimming with what he wanted to say and what he wanted to do, but he couldn't seem to straighten anything out. Nothing was making sense, and as of late, he was feeling a lot of things that he didn't want to be feeling.

As Dean stepped up to Cassie's front door, he hesitated while pulling his phone out. He stared at it for a few seconds, flipping it open and going through his contacts before he stopped at a familiar name. He swallowed hard, staring intently at the bold letters on the screen.

Shaking his head, Dean shut the phone and stuffed it back into his pocket before he made a fist and knocked on the front door. He waited for a moment, and when it swung open and Cassie gazed at him with slight shock, he began to regret the decision of knocking before calling. Because as he gazed at the young woman's face that was standing before him, all he wanted to do was hear Jayne's voice reassuring him that everything would be okay.

But instead of doing what his gut told him to do, he stepped into Cassie's house, the door shutting and locking.

 **May 10, 2006**

The windows were rolled down, the sun was shining, the breeze was warm—and yet the air was still stiff and tense. Sam's eyes wandered to Dean as the young man leaned back, his sunglasses over his eyes and his head leaned back against the seat of the Impala. They had had a long night, having just finished up their hunt, and all Dean wanted was a bit of rest and some time to clear his head; his goodbye to Cassie had been tough.

But there were things Sam had been thinking about, and although he wanted to give his older brother some time, he also wanted a few answers.

"Hey, Dean?" With an annoyed sigh, said brother sat up, lifting the sunglasses off of his eyes and resting them on the top of his head.

"What?"

"...Why'd you keep hunting after Cassie?" Sam asked gently. "I mean, you loved her, so then why didn't you take that chance with her and try to make things work?" Dean blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. The muscles of his jawline flexed as Sam glanced at him, keeping his attention on the road as much as he could; the last thing he wanted to do was get into an accident with Dean's baby.

"Me and Cassie—it was never gonna work out."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do," Dean stated evenly as he glanced out the window. "We live in opposite worlds with completely different lives. And as real as it was, there are things about me she couldn't possibly begin to understand—even if she tried." The brutality of Dean's words nearly hurt Sam, but the younger Winchester heard the truth in them.

"If you really believed that, then why did you even open up to her in the first place?"

Growing tired of the questions, Dean released a huff, turning to stare at his brother. "You want the truth?"

"Yeah."

"The truth is, Cassie wasn't supposed to be a serious thing. I met her and thought she was cute, but then I got to know her, and I liked her more than I thought I would. And when I told Jaynie, she told me to try and make things work." Sam was startled by Dean's explanation; he hadn't been expecting that. "She told me that I needed to stop being afraid—which I _wasn't_ —and I needed to see where things went." The 23-year-old thought hard, his eyes glued to the road.

"...You did it for Jayne?" Dean nodded, unhappy that he had to keep thinking about Jayne in the first place.

"She told me it would be good for me, so I did my best for her." And then, Sam realized it; everything made sense.

"...You ever going to call Jayne and talk about what happened?" Dean rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he placed his sunglasses back on.

"Why the hell do you keep asking me stupid questions?"

"You need to, Dean," Sam pressed firmly, a scowl on his face. "It's been way too long, and the longer you keep ignoring this, the harder it's going to be to fix it."

"Shut up, Sammy," Dean stated as he settled back into his position and shut his eyes. "There's nothing to fix."

* * *

 **Chapter three! I know it's taken me a bit of time to post a new chapter, but I've been a bit tied up with some personal issues. However, I found a dull moment in my life so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to update! So, here we are :)**

 **I just wanted to take a second to thank everyone who is reading and those who have decided to follow and favorite this story! I know it may seem like it's moving slowly, but after a certain point there will be more and things will move a bit more consistently. I'm definitely excited to get further into the story and to see where the changes I plug in will take the boys! If there is anything I can do better or any grammatical issues I need to fix please let me know! I'm always open to feedback and improving my writing! Also, please let me know if anyone seems out of character. It is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves, so if you find me doing it, correct me, please! I would very much appreciate it! Otherwise, please continue to read and enjoy! I'm not quite sure when the next update will be, but it will definitely be sooner than this update was. Thank you to whoever is reading this and being patient with me :D**

 **Please, enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural"**

 **Chapter Four: Say Something**

 _And I will swallow my pride_

 _You're the one that I love_

 _And I'm saying goodbye_

 **May 29, 2006**

The sky was a mixture of orange, blue, pink and yellow. The sun was fading behind the horizon, but the air was still warm and inviting. Yet, as the lone 20-year-old sat on the top step of the porch, the air around her was cold and empty. She held a bottle of _Budlight_ in one hand, gazing out at the sun with a sullen look on her face. And as she sat alone, she took a swig from her bottle, wondering how long she would keep this up; she was beginning to hurt herself, more than anything.

"Jaynie?" Looking over her shoulder, said woman smiled as her mentor and guardian approached her, a raised brow a sign of his confusion. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, Bobby," she assured before she sighed, taking another gulp from her beer. "Just need to recharge after hunting that rugaru," she explained as the man hesitantly nodded, a knowing look on his face.

"When's the last time you talked with the boys?" Jayne didn't answer, at first. She kept her eyes on the setting sun and swallowed hard, trying to find the right words to say.

"I talked to Sammy two days ago. Said he found John in Chicago, but shit hit the fan," she mumbled as Bobby nodded, taking a seat on an old chair that was propped up right by the front door. "...I told him I would come and help them if they needed me, but it seems like things have settled a little since the boys and John went their separate ways."

"How 'bout Dean." The silence Bobby received had been answer enough. He sighed, shaking his head as he adjusted the baseball cap on his head. "You gonna keep ignorin' the poor boy?"

Dean had called her several times, and Jayne hadn't answered once. At first, his calling had been frequent, once almost every day. But then it lessened when she continued to ignore him; she tried to ignore the tug of regret when his calls lessened. He had started leaving voice messages after the first couple of calls—she figured that he had realized she was purposely avoiding him. But she wasn't ready to face him. She wasn't ready to talk to him about everything she knew she needed to talk to him about. Because, the truth was that even though she pretended she knew what she was doing and had her life together, she absolutely didn't.

"I'm not ignoring him, Bobby," Jayne finally stated, the man rolling his eyes at her. "I'm just waiting for the right time to reply."

"You can't fool me, girl," the older hunter retorted back as he stood up and began to head inside. "You're gonna have to face him eventually."

"Yeah, whatever." Jayne remained on the porch alone, drinking the rest of her beer.

 **J** **une 12, 2006**

"She still hasn't answered?" Dean nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked over his shoulder, Sam walking into their motel room with a bag of food, soda and water bottle for them. He gave his older brother a sympathetic look while Dean merely shrugged, trying to act as aloof as possible.

It had been the second time that week he had tried to get a hold of Jayne. In the beginning, he had promised himself he wouldn't bother with her because he was still angry. He had been so offended by what she had said to him that he couldn't will himself to forgive her. Because he had always made sure to be there for her, and he had always made it known to her that if she ever needed something, he should be the first person for her to call. And she had ignored that, completely. Whatever she was dealing with—she was making herself deal with it alone, and for the love of God, he couldn't figure out why. Was he not trustworthy? Was he not responsible enough? Was he not as close with her as he thought he was? Nothing made sense. And the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. So he had decided that until she called, he wouldn't even give her the time of day.

But then the days passed, and as Dean thought more about it—like he had told himself he wouldn't—he had realized that perhaps he had been over the top with his anger. Because, he of all people knew that sometimes talking about what he felt was hard. He barely ever did it, and what little he did express was like torture for him. Whatever Jayne was keeping to herself, whatever she was trying to go through alone—it was a big deal to her, and he shouldn't have expected her to just walk up to him and spill everything. Still, he knew that he still had some right to be upset; but the truth was, he just missed hearing her voice.

She was his best friend. Other than Sammy, Jayne was all Dean had. She knew him like the back of her hand, and he knew her the same way. So, going this long without talking to her when he used to call her almost everyday was difficult; it was damn near impossible to pull off. So, he pushed aside his pride and called her. And when she first didn't answer, Dean didn't pay too much attention to it. He had figured she was busy with a hunt or she was helping Bobby with something. But after the next couple of calls, he began to realize that she was ignoring him; her short conversation with Sammy before one of his calls had been evidence enough.

"No. You know, the next time you talk to her, you should let her know for me that she's acting like a fucking brat," Dean snapped while Sam rolled his eyes, setting their food down on the table against the wall and shrugging his jacket off.

"If you want to talk to her so much, why don't we just go to Bobby's. It's not like we have any hunts lined up," Sam pointed out while Dean shook his head, walking over and taking a seat so he could eat; all this irritating phone-calling had gotten him hungry.

"We're not driving all the way to South Dakota just so I can listen to her bitch at me. If she'd just pick up her phone, this would all be over, and we could move on with our lives," was Dean's bitter response while opening the foil to his burger and letting out a breath of relief. Sam stared at Dean before shaking his head.

"You need to tell her in person." Dean immediately paused, just before his first bite. He narrowed his eyes at his younger brother, shaking his head; Sam was unaffected by that.

"Don't tell me we're talking about this again."

"Dean, if you love her then she needs to know." Said hunter let out a deep groan, immediately losing his appetite.

"Sam, I'm not gonna argue with you about this. I don't—"

" _Yes_. Yes, you do," Sam interjected with and irked look on his face. "So get over yourself and just go see her." Dean said nothing, staring up at Sam with his jaw hanging slightly ajar. He scoffed, though he still said nothing—confirming to Sam that what he had said was true.

Without another word, Dean bit into his food, glowering the entire time. Sam smiled softly before he sat across from his brother and began to dig into his salad. After a few minutes, Dean finished up his meal, tossing his garbage out and standing to his feet. His younger brother watched him curiously as he began to grab his bag and pack his things. Sam's brows furrowed in puzzlement as he drank from his water bottle to wash his food down.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Dean barked, throwing his shirt into his bag and giving his younger brother a vexed glance. "We're heading to Bobby's when you're done eating."

Sam grinned.

 **June 15, 2006**

The growl of the Impala echoed through the afternoon as the black muscle car pulled on to the gravel and stopped in front of Bobby's rickety home. The two Winchesters gazed through the windshield, the sun rays nearly blinding to their sensitive eyes. Dean let out a heavy sigh as he gazed up with a look of regret on his face; what the hell was he even doing? Sam noticed his brother's discomfort and smiled softly before he gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go." Dean muttered curses under his breath, but followed Sammy, slamming his car door shut and trudging along like a pouting child.

Finding the front door open, but the storm door shut, the two glanced around before Sam pulled the door open, the creaking of the motion loud and painful to their ears. "Bobby? Hey! It's Sam and Dean," the younger Winchester hollered. As he and Dean stepped through the threshold of the house, the hunter's footsteps resounded through the air while he came down and headed to the door.

"Dean? Sam? What the hell're you two doin' here?" Bobby inquired, surprised by their sudden visit. He hugged each of them with warmth in his eyes before stepping back, Sam smiling as he shrugged.

"We had some free time and thought we'd stop by to see how you and Jaynie were doing," the 23-year-old explained as Bobby hesitantly nodded, his eyes flickering to Dean—who looked anxious but remained composed.

"Well, you two just missed the girl." Sam and Dean blinked.

"Where's she heading?" Dean questioned curiously as Bobby nodded for the boys to follow him in.

"She's helping an old friend of her mother's out. Ellen Harvelle." Dean and Sam nodded, having never heard of the name before. "She called her yesterday afternoon with a possible hunt, and Jaynie left just a few hours ago." Dean relaxed, a somewhat relieved breath coming out of him while Sam frowned.

"Well, maybe she'll want some help," came Sam's quick response, the younger hunter smiling flippantly at Dean—who glared at him before he sighed and looked to Bobby.

"You have any idea how hard this possible hunt's supposed to be?"

"She mentioned somethin' about two poltergeists in one house. I told her if she needed some help to call, but you know better than anyone how damn difficult she can be." Dean smirked at that before he looked to Sam. The younger brother raised a brow before the older brother sighed and nodded. With a wide smile, the shaggier haired hunter pulled his phone out, turning so he could call Jayne.

Instantly, Bobby's attention was on Dean. "You ever gonna fix whatever the hell's goin' on with Jaynie?" The man in question scoffed before he huffed out of defeat.

"That's what I'm trying to do now."

"Good. I'm tired of seeing her sorry ass mope around like some heartbroken 12-year-old." Dean gave Bobby a nod, clearing his throat and fighting the urge to smile.

"She said to meet her at a bar called Roadhouse in Nebraska."

"Roadhouse? Never heard of it," Dean commented as Bobby shook his head.

"Crowds of hunters normally go there. Been there a few times, myself," Bobby stated as Sam and Dean listened. "Sort of out in the middle of nowhere."

"Which is probably better since hunters go there," Sam pointed out as Dean nodded. He pulled his keys out from his pocket and then headed to the door, throwing a wave back at Bobby. Sam gave their old babysitter a wave and followed after his brother, and then the two were off; they didn't waste another second.

* * *

The drive had dragged on, but thankfully, it hadn't lasted for more than 5 hours. And just like Bobby had told them, the Roadhouse was right in the middle of nowhere. A few other cars were parked randomly around the front, and when the impala pulled up, the driver and passenger immediately found Jayne's white Hemi parked farthest to the side.

"Well, looks like we've got the right place," Sam said before Dean nodded, putting his car in park and shutting it off. He stared at the saloon styled bar for a moment and then looked to Sam.

"And she actually _told_ you that we could come with her."

"Yeah, she did," Sam assured with a dry tone to his voice.

"I mean, she knows I'm with you, right?"

"Let's just go in and see what she says." Sam quickly got out of the car, Dean apprehensively following suit. He shut his door and headed inside, hopping over the steps and holding the door open for Sam.

It was dim-lit inside, with tables strewn about the open space and a bar standing across the room from the entrance. A juke box was set up to the right, which gave the room a bit more life and color. And then there were two pool tables set up by the far side of the bar, the light fixtures hanging over them making it easier to see. The smell of alcohol and sweat filled the air, nearly all the patrons of the bar being men.

Except for the one young woman seated at the bar with her back turned.

"Who the hell is that?" Dean questioned with furrowed brows and tight lips, a blond man sitting upright beside Jayne. Sam frowned, unsure of who the stranger was as well.

"I don't know. She's never mentioned a guy like that before." Dean's eyes narrowed, but he made sure not to say anything as he began to stride up to the young woman; his original purpose of why he had wanted to see her was slowly being forgotten.

As the two brothers approached the other pair, they took notice to the irritated look on Jayne's face while the young man beside her gave her an unenthused look of his own. She snapped something to him before he shook his head, mumbling something back. But whatever they were talking about was soon dropped when Dean approached the black haired woman's side and smiled with feigned kindness.

"Well, look who it is." Jayne almost gasped as she looked over at Dean, and for a moment, the man could've sworn she was happy to see him.

"Dean! Sam!" the 20-year-old said with a smile as she turned to stand up and greet the boys. Sam smiled as he opened his arms, hugging his friend tightly; it had been too long since he'd last seen her.

"It's good to see you, Jaynie," Sam said quietly as Jayne nodded, shutting her eyes and enjoying the warmth from his body.

"You too." Stepping away from Sam, Jayne then turned to Dean. She tried to remain casual, unsure of whether or not she should hug him or not; she wanted to, but the dangerous gleam in his eyes told her not to.

"Who's your friend?" The female hunter blinked before she looked over her shoulder, having forgotten about the blond behind her.

He was just about as tall as Dean, with short blond hair that almost looked a bit red in specific lighting. His bright blue eyes gleamed with an indescribable emotion, his smile perfect and yet completely off. He had five o'clock shadow on his lean and chiseled face, though he was dressed in white button up and a black blazer with matching pants; he did not seem to fit the demographic of the bar.

The frustrated look on Jayne's face went unnoticed by Dean, who seemed completely fixated on the man with his friend—who was now standing to his feet and smiling at him and Sam. "This is—This is Hamlet!" Both of the Winchesters blinked, having not expected such a name. "Yes, Hamlet's his name. Isn't that right?" The blond glanced to Jayne before he nodded, continuing with his polite smile.

"It's great to meet you, Sam and Dean Winchester." The brother's raised a brow at the man as he spoke.

"How do you know our names?" the younger brother asked, Jayne and Hamlet exchanging glances before the man cleared his throat.

"Jayne talks about the two of you all the time." And although it was believable, neither of the Winchesters bought it.

"Huh, weird, because Jayne's never brought you up once," Dean pointed out snidely, smiling cheekily as Sam gave his brother look while Jayne sighed, rubbing her eyes; she had a feeling this wasn't going to end well.

"So! You said you were on a hunt?" Sam chimed in, wanting to change the subject. Jayne smiled widely, thankful that he had turned the wheel in a different direction.

"Yeah, Ellen—she owns this place—she called me and said she had a possible case for me."

"Two poltergeists, Bobby said," Dean stated while Jayne nodded.

"She was going to bring me some information on it. Not sure where she is now, though," the 20-year-old muttered as Sam and Dean took a seat on the bar stools. They glanced up when a young, wavy haired blonde approached them in a black V-neck short sleeve and a pair of fitted jeans. She smiled a friendly one to Jayne, ignoring the eyes that racked over her form; Sam and Dean couldn't help but look.

"You need another drink, Jay?"

"Oh, no. I'm good," the hunter answered before looked to Sam and Dean. "Jo, I'd like you to meet Sam and Dean. Sam and Dean, this is Jo—Ellen's daughter!" the woman introduced as Sam smiled and shook the woman's hand while Dean did the same, though his expression was more forced; he was tense, in general.

"Nice to meet you two in person. Jayne never shuts up about you guys," the blonde said with a smirk while Sam chuckled and Dean relaxed, his eyes flickering over to his friend. Jayne glared at Jo before she cleared her throat and looked around the bar. Relief overcame her when she found Ellen stepping out from the back of the bar with a manilla folder in her hand.

"Finally," she hissed before the older woman held the folder out to her.

"Sorry about that," Ellen said as she stepped back behind the bar. "I had to put it all together."

"No problem. Thanks for this. It'll be helpful," the 20-year-old said as she flipped through the contents before she handed it off to Hamlet, who silently read through everything; the Winchesters tried not to come off as offended when they watched her do that.

"Ellen, this is Sam and that's Dean. John's kids." Ellen's jaw fell slightly ajar as she looked over to the two boys; after a coupe of seconds, she smiled.

"John Winchester's kids?"

"You know him?" Dean asked as he shook the woman's hand and watched her nod.

"He was like family once," she claimed solemnly before she took a deep breath and smiled, shaking Sam's hand.

"Well, I'm glad to finally meet you boys. Jayne going on about you all the time, it's like I know you both already."

"Will you guys stop saying that!" the embarrassed woman snapped. "You make it sound like I talk about them every chance I get." Jo's wily smile said more than anything else; she had a feeling her friend would only snap if she actually spoke.

"This shouldn't be too difficult," the blond decided offhandedly as he handed Jayne the folder back and she passed it to Sam and Dean. Dean tried to ignore the way the stranger leaned in and whispered something to the young woman—her response being a dirty look before she turned to him and his younger brother.

"I was gonna take this hunt with Hamlet, but seeing as you called and didn't have any other jobs on the back burners, I figured the more help, the better," she stated offhandedly; she hadn't realized her words seemed to suddenly make Dean burst.

"Since when did you start hunting with this guy?" Dean questioned with an irritated look on his face. Jayne blinked before she swallowed, clearing her throat and shrugging.

"I've known him for awhile. I—"

"You've known him for _awhile_?" Dean repeated, Sam grimacing as he glanced to Ellen and Jo; the young blonde slowly faded herself out of the conversation, knowing she did not belong, while her mother remained where she stood, gazing at the arguing pair with a frown. "You've known him for awhile, but you've never mentioned him to us before."

"Contrary to belief, I don't tell you guys everything."

"Yeah, apparently not." Dean glared at Jayne before he pushed his seat back from the bar and began to march towards the exit. The female hunter let out an exasperated breath, quickly standing to her feet and rushing after her friend.

"Dean!" she called out while she chased after the brunet, stopping when he came to an abrupt halt just a few feet from his car. "Dean, just wait—"

"You know how many times I've called you since Tennessee?" The young man swiftly turned around to face his friend, the woman gazing at him with an apprehensive glimmer in her brown eyes. She took a deep breath, nodding her head.

"I know. I know I shouldn't have ignored your calls—"

"But you did anyways," Dean finished with an icy laugh as he placed his hands on his hips and glared at her. "What? You decided that dealing with whatever shit we have going on was too much trouble and decided to run off with the ginger douche back there?"

"Dean, you're getting it all wrong," Jayne said helplessly, her quivering fingers running through her hair. "Hamlet—I didn't just run off with him."

"Who the hell is that guy? Huh? And why the hell have me and Sammy never heard of him until now?" Dean asked as he took two more steps towards Jayne, crossing into her personal space. She stood her ground, unafraid to look Dean in the eyes, but hesitant to answer him.

"...I can't tell you." Dean blinked, all emotion void from his face for a second before he grit his teeth.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" he yelled furiously, Jayne flinching but remaining where she stood.

"Dean—"

"I felt bad, you know," he began, glaring at Jayne as he shook his head. "I thought about that day and all the shit I said and everything you said, and for a second, I really did think I over-reacted—that I flipped out too quick on you, but it's like you don't give a shit at all." Jayne shut her eyes, trying to take and release a deep breath in order to stay as composed as possible.

"Dean...I'm sorry."

"That's all I get? A half-assed apology?" he questioned angrily as Jayne let out a sound of frustration.

"Dean, I just..." She trailed off, giving him a sincerely hurt look. "I don't know what to say."

"How about telling me what the hell's been going on with you? What don't I know? What have you not been telling me?" he exclaimed, the desperation in his voice making Jayne want to breakdown. "...I thought I knew you. I thought that you...I thought we were closer than this." Suddenly, fear was beginning to eat away at Jayne as she realized where the conversation was heading. Quickly, she stepped closer to Dean, grabbing him by the front of his red and black plaid shirt and squeezing tightly.

"Dean, you're my best friend! You're the only person who I can count on and that I trust. Of course we're close," she replied back sincerely. "I'm...I just have...I don't know..." She couldn't find the words. She was scared now—terrified, and Dean could see it. He could tell by the way her fists trembled as she held on to him and by the way she looked at him, as if she was looking at him for the last time.

"...I gotta go," Dean merely said, making Jayne's eyes widen.

"Dean, just—"

"Unless you plan on telling me what the hell is going on with you, I'm leaving." The young woman fell silent, staring at Dean. He gazed back at her, a hopeful shine in his emerald eyes; but as the seconds passed, he realized that Jayne wasn't going to relent. Shaking his head, Dean gave her one last disappointed look before he got into his car.

"See you around." Jayne remained where she stood as the young man pulled the car around her, stopping right at the front of the bar as Sam walked outside. She slowly turned to look back at Sam, the younger Winchester speaking with Dean through the open window of the passenger seat. He frowned and glanced up at Jayne but said nothing, getting into the car. The impala tires screeched against the ground, the car zipping past Jayne and disappearing down the road.

Several minutes of silence passed as Jayne remained outside. She stared after the black car, the dust from the wheels settling back on the ground and everything looking as it was before they had left. The 20-year-old quaked with anger before she let out a scream and kicked the ground. Without another word, she stomped back into the bar, slamming the door as she went.

 **July 1, 2006**

The bedroom was dark, the blinds to the window drawn shut. There was no light outside to seep through, the sun hidden behind storm clouds as rain pattered onto the glass of the window. The lights had been shut off, and the door shut. The whirring of a fan filled the silence while a woman laid motionlessly in her bed, trapped in a deep slumber. She tossed and turned, finally stirring when a clap of thunder sounded in the air.

A groan followed after the thunder, a hand fumbling through the darkness in search of a small chain hanging from a lamp. Once she felt it, she tugged gently and winced, the abrupt light hurting her eyes. Wincing, the black haired hunter carefully sat up, glancing down to her torso and checking the bandages that were wrapped around her; she was glad to see the bleeding had stopped.

"Finally awake?" Looking up, Jayne frowned at the voice, an all too familiar blond standing at the end of her bed.

"Isn't there some way I can keep you out?" the woman moaned as she fell back on her bed, the blond taking a seat on her mattress and shrugging.

"Of course there is, but if I taught it to you, I'd never be able to help you."

"I don't want your damn help."

"It's my job to protect you, Jayne." Said hunter shook her head before she heard faint footsteps from down the hall. She glanced at blond, who looked to the doorway and stood to his feet.

"I'll come to see you later."

"Whatever." Within a blink of an eye, her companion was gone.

"Jaynie?" Watching as her door opened, Bobby entered cautiously. Jayne smiled, any trace of distress wiped clean from her face. "I got your message. I was out on a hunt."

"I figured. I just wanted to let you know, just in case you got worried," she explained as the man nodded.

"I told you not to go huntin' alone." Jayne smiled sheepishly.

"I know. Old habits die hard, they say." Bobby scoffed before he stood up and headed for the door.

"You want me to make you somethin'?"

"What? And accidentally poison me? I think I'll pass."

The older man rolled his eyes as he exited the room, muttering a "smart ass," under his breath—which made Jayne laugh. And when she was sure he was long gone, her smile dropped and she fell back to her mattress. A yelp slipped past her lips as a sharp pain coursed through her body; she had moved too quickly. "Goddamn it," she mumbled before she sighed, shutting her eyes and shaking her head.

The day this all ended—the day she took her last breath, that would be the happiest day of her life.

 **July 17, 2006**

A soft humming to Rick Astley's _Never Gonna Give You Up_ , filled the kitchen as Jayne washed her dishes. She bounced on the tips of her feet as she hummed the melody to herself before her cell phone suddenly rang. Raising a brow, the young woman stopped what she was doing in order to pick up the call; it was from town.

"Hello?"

" _Is this Ms. Jayne Foster?_ " Shocked at the alias she had never heard before, the woman hesitantly nodded.

"May I ask who's calling?"

" _I'm a doctor here at Sioux Falls General Hospital_."

* * *

" _Jaynie, I need you to calm down. I know_ —"

"Don't tell me to be calm, Bobby!" Jayne held her phone firmly against her ear as she sped down the road, weaving past other cars without batting an eyelash. "I needed to be there the second they got to the hospital!"

" _You're gonna give yourself a heart attack if you don't start relaxin'_." Jayne ignored the concern in her guardian's voice, shaking her head while she slammed her hand against the steering wheel.

"This shouldn't have happened. If I had just picked up Dean's—"

" _Don't start playing the blame game, Jayne,_ " Bobby snapped, which successfully silenced the frantic woman, her lips making a tight line. "... _It'll be alright._ "

"...I'll let you know when I get there." And with that, the 20-year-old hung the call up. She then turned all of her focus to the road, disregarding the fact that she was driving thirty over the speed limit.

Within twenty minutes, Jayne was parked in front of the hospital and sprinting inside. She shoved past strangers before she reached the front desk, asking for Dean. Her mind was racing as the nurse took her time to look for the room number, and as she searched through the computer system, Jayne wore a wide-eyed look on her face. Her brain had thoughts scattered about, and it scrambled to make sense of what was happening around her. Her vision began to tunnel as the voices echoed, reality morphing and twisting in unrecognizable ways; she was terrified.

The second the nurse gave her the room number, the young woman was running once more, not looking back. She skipped the elevator, deciding that taking the stairs would be quicker. And once she reached the floor she needed, she burst through the door and glanced down the hallway.

"Jaynie?" Hearing her name, Jayne looked to her left and let out a shaky, relieved breath before she ran up to Sam, his face scarred and swollen by his eye—she was just glad to see him standing.

"Sammy!" The woman jumped into his arms and held him tightly, Sam squeezing his eyes shut and embracing her as close to himself as he could. After a few moments, the 20-year-old stepped back, holding her friend by his arms before she eyed him all around. "What happened? Are you ok? What about John? I got a phone call from the hospital and—"

"Jayne, slow down," Sam said, holding his friend by her shoulders and gazing into her eyes. "One thing at a time." The younger hunter nodded, collecting herself and taking a deep breath.

"What the hell happened?" And so, Sam told her everything. How they had gotten the colt—how their father had finally joined them for the hunt against the yellow-eyed demon, and how they had nearly killed him when things had gone terribly wrong; it ended with a car crash. Jayne listened intently to every word her friend spoke, doing her best not to lash out and search for the demon herself. She took deep breaths in order to cope with the rage she was feeling, Sam retelling his tale as calmly as he could. And when it was all over, the two sat side-by-side in the hallway, letting everything settle.

"...How's John doing?" Jayne inquired quietly, causing Sam to smile slightly.

"His arm's broken, and he's got some bruising and a concussion, but other than that, he should be fine."

"That's good." And finally, the dreaded topic came to pass. "...They said Dean hasn't woken up yet." Sam glanced at Jayne, her eyes glued to the wall across from her. The younger Winchester slowly nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"...It's not good, Jayne," he whispered honestly while the woman shut her eyes. "The doctor—he said that there's a chance that Dean—"

"I want to see him." The words tumbled out of Jayne without warning, her desperation cutting off the 23-year-old's explanation. She stood to her feet and looked down at Sam, the young man looking at her with a sympathetic expression on his face before he forced a smile across his lips and nodded.

"Yeah."

Sam led the way, Jayne biting at her bottom lip as she followed him. After passing three doors, Sam turned into a room, his companion taking a moment to herself before she stepped inside. Her gaze softened as she stood in the doorway, Dean's motionless body lying on a bed with a heart monitoring beeping and tubes through his nose and mouth. She wanted to grab him and shake him by his shoulders, but instead, she slowly approached the bedside before she grabbed on to the side-rails and stared.

There was a closed gash that ran from his hairline to the middle of his forehead, and his skin was pale. And although he looked exactly the same as when Jayne had last seen him, there was something about him that made the usually strong and sturdy, young man look just a bit more fragile and frail; she hated it.

"Goddamn it..." Jayne shook her head, taking a seat in the chair by Dean's bedside and keeping her eyes on him. She never noticed the way Sam watched her with sadness in his eyes. He observed for a second longer before he approached his friend and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm gonna go check on my dad." The younger woman didn't respond as Sam walked out, the unconscious Winchester's sibling taking one last look at her and his brother before he headed to his father's room.

As if she'd been holding her breath, Jayne gasped, reaching out and grabbing a hold of Dean's limp hand. She gave it a tight squeeze as she normally would and expected him to squeeze back. But when she felt nothing, her lips began to quiver and her vision began to blur. She gazed at his face, reaching one hand out to run her fingers down his cheek; his skin was cold.

"...Sonofabitch," she quietly snapped, quickly digging into the pocket of her jacket and pulling out her cell phone. And as she pressed a few buttons, she never noticed the set of green eyes watching her.

"Jaynie..." Dean stood beside her, watching her closely as she called her voicemail. He frowned deeply as she entered her phone number through the dial pad before she reached her inbox; all the voicemails Dean had left her were waiting.

 _Hey, Jaynie. It's me. Call me back when you get this._

 _Hey, Jaynie. Look, I just need to talk to you about what happened...give me a call._

 _I'm sorry, alright? I wanted to tell you I'm friggin' sorry for acting like a dick-bag in Tennessee. So stop being so damn stubborn and just pick up so we can work this out._

 _Seriously, Jayne. I'm about to find your ass and make you answer my damn phone calls. I mean, I get it if you ignore my calls, but you_ _ **j**_ _ **ust**_ _got off the phone with Sammy! This is some bullshit if I've ever seen any._

Jayne shut her eyes as she shook her head, taking an unsteady breath while she continued to listen to the sound of Dean's voice through her phone. The man's spirit stood and watched, his nose flaring as he watched her eyes tear up and redden. "Jaynie, I'm right here..." he whispered as he knelt down beside her and looked up at her face.

 _Jayne...I'm coming to see you. Sammy thinks that I should talk to you in person and work this out. If you ask me, this shit would've been worked out already if you'd just answer your phone...but I guess that's not the point...The point is...I'm coming, and we're gonna fix this. Because this whole ignoring each other thing? It sucks ass. And...And I just...Well, I'll tell you when I see you_.

"Fuck!" Jayne shook her head as she blinked, hot tears spilling down her eyes. She sniffled before more tears fell. She paused the next voicemail, taking the phone and knocking her forehead into it several times before she merely pressed it against her head and let out a choked sob. "Goddamn it, Jayne. You bitch _."_

"Hey, you're not a bitch," Dean tried to coo as he gazed up at the woman, her tears making his heart sink. "You act like a crazy bitch every once in awhile, but you're the furthest thing from one, Jaynie." But his comforting words went unheard.

Taking a deep breath, Jayne mustered all the strength in herself to listen to the last message Dean had left her. She wiped her eyes with her free hand, though it seemed pointless as more tears fell down her face.

 _...Hey, Jaynie. It's been awhile...I was just...God, shit's just hitting the fan, and everything's a damn mess...It'd be awesome if you were with me. But you're not, and apparently we're still not talking...at this point, I have no idea why the hell we're even doing this anymore._ Jayne smiled at that. _...Dad's been taken, and now we've gotta go get him. Everyone that ever helped dad_ — _they're all dying because of the damn demon. So, I don't care how pissed you are. I don't care if you hate my guts. Just call me so I know you're alright...cover your ass_.

"Dean." Jayne dropped her phone into her lap as she covered her eyes and wept. She shook her head as Dean watched her and groaned.

"Come on, Jaynie. Don't cry," he pleaded as he stood up, trying to gain her attention. "You know I can't stand the sound of you crying." He sighed as he tried to reach out and touch her, his hand going right through her shoulder. He cursed to himself, trying to drown out the sound of her sadness.

"I'm so sorry, Dean," Jayne whispered as she lifted her head and looked at his peaceful face. "I'm so fucking stupid! If I had picked up that call, this wouldn't have happened."

"Don't you dare try and take the blame for this, Jayne," the spirit snapped as he walked around his bed and stood across from the woman. "This had nothing to do with you. You wouldn't have been able to stop this from happening." His voice was ignored.

"This is why—Goddamn it, this is why..." Dean blinked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"This is why, what?" he asked as he leaned over so he could get a better look at the woman.

"...Seeing you like this just reminds me of why I'm the way I am," she muttered as she shook her head. "But you don't get it. And that's my fault. Of course you wouldn't get it. How would you if I don't explain."

"Jaynie, what the hell are you talking about?" Suddenly, a gleam of determination shined in the woman's eyes before she stood to her feet.

"Hamaliel!" The unconscious hunter's spirit blinked.

"Hama—what?"

"Hamaliel!" Jayne exclaimed once more as she looked around the room. Dean's brows furrowed before he felt a chill run up his spine. He blinked before he looked behind him and to the window, and his eyes widened when he found the same blond from months before standing there—staring directly at him. "Hamaliel, I'm calling for you!" Jayne yelled out helplessly as she looked around; though she couldn't see him, apparently Dean could.

"What the hell are you?" Dean asked as he narrowed his eyes, taking a step towards Jayne in a manner of protection. The blond chuckled at the hunter's apprehension before he sighed.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Dean Winchester."

"Who the hell said I was afraid?"

"It's written all over you," Hamaliel commented as the young man shook his head.

"I thought Jayne said your name was Hamlet."

"That's the name she uses to refer to me to other humans. She thinks Hamaliel is too much to say, so she said that she and others would address me as Hamlet." Dean blinked, the confusion evident on his face.

"Answer my question, _Hamlet_. What the hell are you?" The blond smiled kindly before he stepped up to Dean, the 27-year-old stiffening.

"I'm an angel."

* * *

 **A little over two years later and here we are...Hello again!**

 **SO sorry about the lack of updates. I don't really have an answer as to why I went missing. Things have been crazy, but I think I just had a lack of motivation for a little bit. I'm notorious for disappearing, as I think I may have mentioned to whoever is reading this, so sorry about that!**

 **So things are slowly rising with Hamaliel's appearance and with the plot unfolding the way it has. He is one of the original characters that I've come up with for this story. As I've said before, with a few minor details here and there, this story will follow the plot up until a specific moment, and from then on, shit will be hitting the fan and things will be changing! I genuinely appreciate everyone who's been reading and following and favoriting even though I've been MIA for a bit! I will do my best not to disappear...and if I do disappear again, I promise to not be gone for this long!**

 **Just to let whoever is reading know, there is an error in the very first chapter that I posted that I have corrected! It's a rather important piece of information but something very small and minor that you may not even notice. However, this one detail is a big part of something further into chapters, so I had to make sure that I edited it. If anyone who is reading ends up going back and rereading the first chapter, if you notice the change I make, you'll realize much later why I did that!**

 **Again, apologies! But thanks for your patience! I do hope that whoever is here enjoys this chapter!**

 **Thanks so much!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural"**

 **Chapter Five: The End of All Things**

 _In these coming years_

 _Many things will change_

 _But the way I feel_

 _Will remain the same_

 **July 18, 2006**

Dean stared at Jayne intently, his thoughts racing as the woman remained in her chair beside his bed and stared at his unmoving face.

Reapers, Demons, Angels—what the hell was Dean's life coming to?

"...Jaynie," the young man whispered as he shook his head, frowning deeply. "You should've told me," he said quietly while the woman continued to stare at his unchanging face—the exhaustion slowly becoming obvious from the bags under her eyes. He let out a frustrated grunt as he stood up from his bed and paced, looking back at his friend with a saddened expression.

"You didn't have to do this alone," he lectured while he quickly walked over to Jayne and stood in front of her. "You should've told me what you were doing! You're supposed to be able to tell me these things, and we're supposed to work things out together!" the man snapped as he shook his head, scowling down at the 20-year-old.

"...Hamsy or Hamlet or whatever the hell his name is—he told me enough...I wish you'd just told me...but I get it," he claimed with a sigh before he hesitantly reached out and cupped the woman's face. She seemed to feel nothing as she continued gazing at his relaxed figure, a sigh slipping from her lips. His wanting gaze softened as he leaned his forehead against hers and shut his eyes.

"...I can't do anything else for you, Dean." Jayne suddenly spoke, startling the spirit as he watched her. "Hamaliel, he's refusing to save you...I should've known. His track record isn't good," she muttered with bitterness while she stood up and stared down at the unconscious Dean. "I need you to be strong, Dean. I need you to fight this. It's too early for you to go," she proclaimed as the spirit's green eyes softened. "You've got so much to do still—a whole life you haven't lived. And Sammy and your dad—they're both waiting for you," she said before she took a deep breath. "I'm waiting for you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Jaynie. I promise," Dean whispered as he approached the woman and stood beside her. He reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing it as tightly as he could. And for a moment, he could've sworn she had felt him. Her fingers twitched as she turned her head to him with wide eyes—like a chill had run down her back unexpectedly. His own eyes widened at the possibility of her finally noticing him, but as soon as hope came, it was ripped from him.

"Dean." Stiffening, said man released the woman's hand, slowly turning to look over his shoulder. His gaze hardened as Tessa stared at him, standing in a black dress. "It's time we talked."

 **July 19, 2006**

"Jaynie, wake up." Wincing, said woman lifted her head from the table she'd been sitting at before she found a smiling Sam looking down at her, shaking her shoulder. She blinked several times, slightly dizzy from being woken up in the middle of her sleep and having had only a minimal amount of hours of sleep in the first place.

"Sam? What is it?" The young man's smile widened as he chuckled from the woman's sleepy expression.

"Dean's awake." Without having to say another word, Sam watched as his friend shot up to her feet, brushing past him and running out of the coffee lounge. She didn't bother waiting for the Winchester as she sprinted down the hall, barely excusing herself as she bumped into several people. And once she was in Dean's doorway, she was sure she had lost all sense. A breath of life had blown through her as the sound of her heartbeat echoed steadily in her ear, the young man sitting up in his bed as the Doctor finished looking over his body.

"Well, this is some sort of miracle," the older man declared as he jotted down a few notes in Dean's file. "All of your contusions, bruises, fractures—they're all healed." The doctor glanced to the doorway and smiled, acknowledging Jayne's presence. Dean followed the man's gaze, his eyes widening when he found Jayne smiling widely at him.

"Jaynie?"

"Dean!" The woman darted up to his side and nearly jumped on to his bed, pulling him into a warm embrace. The doctor said nothing, excusing himself quietly—though he went unnoticed by either of them.

Dean blinked, astonished by Jayne's unexpected appearance. He didn't remember much except for being in the impala and then blacking out. Then he was awake, and he was in the hospital and Sammy was smiling down at him with relief. He assumed that she must have been called during his time being unconscious. And although he knew there had been so much between them that had not been talked about or settled, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed that she was there; she had been there for him.

"You're alive," she whispered into his neck as she held him tightly, hot tears dripping on to his skin. Dean frowned at the fact the woman was crying but didn't say anything, letting her have her moment. He kept his arms around her waist and her body close to his, taking a deep breath and relishing in the way he felt so safe in her arms. "I'm so thankful you're alive," she choked out as she laughed through her tears.

"Yeah, well, too bad for you—you can't get rid of me that easily," Dean joked, Jayne laughing once more before she choked on a sob.

"Hey, seriously, don't cry," Dean urged as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," Jayne whispered as she nodded. Dean smiled slightly as he shut his eyes and sighed. "Just...Don't leave me," she begged weakly, making the man holding her frown. He slowly nodded his head before he gently pushed the woman back and gazed into her eyes. He gave her a reassuring nod before he brushed her hair behind her ears.

Whatever they had been arguing about—whatever had caused the disconnect between them—it had all been forgotten. As Dean held Jayne in his arms and let her weep against him, he merely held her tight and thanked the universe for bringing them back together. In that moment, all was forgiven; they could worry about the rest later, but for now, all that mattered was being together.

"I won't. I won't leave you, ever."

* * *

Her mood had dramatically lifted and her expression brightened. It was as if she was an entirely different person now that Dean was alive and well. And although in the back of her mind, it was alarming to know that Dean had such an effect on her, she paid it no attention—merely focusing on how thankful she was that her friend had made it out alive.

She had left the room after an hour, wanting to give Sam and Dean some time with each other. And as the young woman headed down the hall, she found John approaching her—more than likely heading to Dean's room. He smiled at her, relieved that the young woman had here spirits back. "How're you?" the man questioned as the 20-year-old nodded.

"Better now."

"I'm glad to hear that," the father of two said before he glanced down the hall and smiled at the thought of his sons.

"I heard he's doing well."

"Yeah! He's healed and completely healthy. His scars just need time, but other than that, he's good," Jayne explained with the utmost enthusiasm in her words; John nodded with a content smile, turning his full attention to the young woman standing before him.

"...Jayne, I know you've known the boys and I for a long time," the older man began, making the smile on the female hunter's face slowly fall. "And I just wanted you to know that I'm sincerely glad they met you. I haven't always been there for them, and you've made surviving for them mean something. You've made this life easier for them." Jayne blinked, having no idea how to respond to the statement.

"So, thank you for looking out for my boys."

"Of—Of course," the woman replied back as she nodded. John smiled before he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Keep them on track. Don't let them lose their way." Jayne frowned but hesitantly nodded.

"I would never."

"...And Dean?" Jayne stiffened at the mention of the man's eldest son. "Be good to him. He's always had a special place for you, and I think he always will." And with that, John walked past her, giving the young woman's head one last pat before he disappeared into the hospital room. The young woman remained where she stood before she cautiously looked back towards where John had gone. She blinked, asking herself whether that conversation had truly happened or if she had dreamt while walking; it had been a long few days.

Deciding not to linger too much on it, the hunter began to walk back down the hall, the dollar and change for the vending machine nearly forgotten. She tried not to think on the man's words, but she couldn't stop herself. And just as she went to take a seat and think about everything that had happened, Sam's desperate and terrified voice filled the air.

John Winchester was announced dead five minutes later.

 **August 6, 2006**

"How are they?" Turning away from the window and looking back at Bobby, Jayne frowned deeply, shaking her head.

"Dean's spent the last several days out there, and Sam spends most of his time locked in the bedroom." The young woman sighed rubbing the back of her neck before she looked back out the window and frowned. "I don't know what to do, Bobby." Said man stood beside the woman, seeing—for the first time in a long time—the same, vulnerable girl that had showed up on his doorstep years ago; the same young girl who'd lost her way when her mother had passed.

"You can't do much for them, sweetheart," Bobby quietly stated as Jayne slowly nodded. "But what you _c_ _an do_ is let them know you're there—like you always have been." The 20-year-old smiled before she chuckled and leaned her head against Bobby's shoulder. The two stood side-by-side for a few more minutes before Jayne turned and walked away.

 **August 10, 2006**

Taking a deep breath, Jayne stared at the door in front of her and raised her fist up. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she nodded reassuringly to herself and softly rapped on the wooden entrance. She waited for a few seconds, receiving silence as her answer, and knocked twice more. When no one spoke then, she took the liberty to twist the door knob and quietly enter the bedroom.

"...Sam?" The young woman's eyes flickered around the quiet room, everything neat and in order; save for the lump that was under the blankets on the bed. "...Sam..."

"What's up, Jaynie?" Forcing himself to sit up for the first time in what felt like ages, Sam winced as his body moaned and cried for him to lay back down and fall back into a deep slumber. He ignored his body's wishes, though, gazing at his childhood friend while she hesitantly took a seat at the edge of his mattress.

He looked sick—like he hadn't eaten in days and like the sun beams had never touched his skin before. And although all he did was sleep, he had dark bags under his eyes that showed just how little of deep sleep he was getting throughout the nights. And even in his condition—even after all that had happened to him, he still sat in front of her and forced a smile and pretended like nothing was wrong; it broke Jayne's heart.

"...You can't keep doing this, Sammy." Instantly, said man's face darkened, his smile dropping and a somber expression washing over him. "This isn't good for you."

"Jaynie—"

"Just hear me out." The female hunter wouldn't take no for an answer.

"...When my mom died, all I did was cry, sleep and wish I was dead instead of her." Sam winced at the brutality of her words, having never known what had gone on with Jayne during the time he and his family had left her at Bobby's when they had found her the night of her mother's death. "And then, after being sad and isolated, I was just angry. And I hated everyone and everything...To this day, sometimes I still feel that way."

"Jayne—"

"It's ok." The young woman gave her friend a reassuring smile, seeing the concern gleam in his eyes. "I want you to hear this." Slowly, Sam nodded his head, silencing himself.

"...If it wasn't for Bobby being here and forcing me to live, I probably would've either gone insane or killed myself trying to get revenge on the thing that killed her...I was so dedicated on finding it and going after it, but at that time, I wasn't ready. I definitely would've died." Smiling at the image of Bobby's face in her head, Jayne nodded. "You can't hide yourself from us and expect for things to just blow over. Your dad _d_ _ied_ , Sammy. That's not something that will just heal over time." Sam shook his head, swallowing hard.

"I—I can't."

"No, you just don't want to. There's a difference." The 23-year-old scowled, but said nothing else. Jayne frowned at that, seeing the wall still built around Sam like a fortress protecting a king. She took a deep breath and sighed, knowing she needed to just say everything.

"I don't like hunting with other people because I'm afraid I'm going to watch them die." Sam's eyes instantly widened as he met Jayne's gaze, her eyes watering and her hands trembling. "And that time you and Dean found me all messed up? I had just finished trying to interrogate a demon about my mom and came up with nothing, _again_...and the reason I didn't want to tell you guys is because, deep down inside, I'm scared of everyone and everything." Sam could see the tears threatening to fall, but not once did they. Jayne merely had her lips pressed into a tight line as her brows furrowed upward and inward. And for the first time, Sam could see the pain on her face—the sorrow and the loneliness; she understood what he and his brother were going through.

"Don't...Don't be like me, Sammy. I'm all fucking messed up because I chose not to rely on you guys. You have me and Bobby and even Dean here. So, _please_ ,don't shut yourself up in here." Finally, warm tears fell from Jayne's face, Sam's vision blurring; he could almost _feel_ her pain.

Or perhaps it was his own pain he was feeling.

Reaching out, Sam pulled Jayne into him and held her close. The young woman wrapped her own arms around him, not saying a word and just enjoying the heat from his body. She found comfort in his understanding touch and the welcoming warmth, and she could feel his own tears fall on to her shoulder; she didn't acknowledge it. They sat in silence, acknowledging the fact that their lives were fucked up—acknowledging the fact that shit was completely wrong, but there was one thing that kept the two of them going.

They had each other.

* * *

Walking out of the bedroom Sam and Dean were occupying, the young woman looked back at the teary-eyed Winchester and smiled. "You want me to shut this?" The 23-year-old thought momentarily before he shook his head and smiled back at Jayne.

"No. Go ahead and keep it open." With a wide grin, Jayne nodded before she headed down the hall and to the stairs, making her way down. Her steps were light, and she had a bounce in her walk that made Bobby smile as she traipsed into the kitchen and grabbed two beers; she seemed to be in better spirits.

"Where you goin'?" the man asked as he watched her head out the back door.

"I'm going to check on Dean." And then, she shut the door.

Bobby stared after her for a moment before letting out a sigh. After that, a few minutes later, Sam appeared with a small smile. "Hey, Bobby." Said man, slightly surprised, stood to his feet before he nodded.

"Sam. How you feelin'?" The young man didn't speak, shrugging instead—though the smile remained on his face.

"I think...I think I'll be okay, eventually," he decided with a nod, which made the older hunter smile.

"That's good to hear, boy."

* * *

Jayne stood in the heat of the day, her black spaghetti strap soaking in the warmth. She walked with a fierceness in her step, mentally prepping herself for all the ways this could possibly go; she could never _truly_ be ready though.

Stopping a few feet away from Dean—who was stuffed inside of what remained of his car—the woman took a quiet, deep breath and then cleared her throat. She watched as Dean sat up, looking at her before he hesitantly got out of the impala. He stood up and dusted himself off, glancing from Jayne to the beer extended out to him. He gazed at it for a second longer before he nodded, taking the bottle and popping the top open before he took a swig. Jayne smiled; so far, so good.

"You need some help?" Dean scoffed before he smirked and shook his head.

"When's the last time you worked on a car?"

"I may be a little rusty." Dean chuckled before his expression dropped, his gaze lost in the distance. Jayne tried not to frown as she watched him, trying to figure out a way to bring him back.

"I don't need a babysitter." The 20-year-old remained composed with a shrug.

"I never said you did."

"Then don't look at me like that."

"I'm not—"

" _Jayne_." Dean gave the woman a pointed look while she stared back at him, unwilling to back down. After a few moments, she sighed and relaxed, taking a seat on a barrel and opening her own beer.

"I'm entitled to be worried, Dean." The man scoffed before he took another sip from his own drink.

"Since when?" Immediately, Jayne was on the defense, giving the young man an offended look.

"Since always."

"You sure didn't seem to care a few months ago." He was pushing her away. She could see it in the way he avoided her eyes and the way he took a step back from her. He was pulling his normal move—becoming skittish at the idea of letting her in and telling her what he was going through. And although it was frustrating, she couldn't be upset. Because now he knew the truth; now he knew that she was exactly the same way as him.

"...You're right," Jayne said quietly as she shook her head at herself. "I didn't act like I cared, and that was wrong of me." Dean stared at her before he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed.

"What? I almost die and then dad dies, and now you've suddenly seen the error of your ways?" the 27-year-old questioned sarcastically, making Jayne grimace. "Well, I'm glad that we were able to help you see a little more clearly."

"Dean, stop," Jayne asked pleadingly as the man shook his head, glaring at her. "Stop trying to take this all out on me. It's not gonna fix you, and it's not gonna bring your dad back."

"Shut the hell up!" Dean erupted like a volcano, suddenly throwing his beer to the side. The glass shattered into a million little shards, scattering all over the ground and the alcohol, itself, now splattered on the ground. "You don't get to sit here and try and tell me how to make this better when you can't even talk to me about your own shit, Jayne," the mourning man barked coldly, his voice full of resentment and betrayal. "You don't have to the right to tell me that after all the time you spent ignoring me and treating me like shit—when all I wanted was to see you and make things right!" Guilt was very evident on Jayne's face at Dean's pained words, and he could see the way everything he said jabbed her like a knife to the chest. Still, she was keeping her composure—and he knew it was because if she didn't, things would end in flames between them; someone had to keep control of the wheel in their spiraling car.

"...I was wrong, Dean," Jayne whispered as she set her beer down and stood up. "I was _so_ _wrong_ to do that. And you know I was, and I know I was. And I'm sorry. I really am. But it's not about that anymore, and you know it." The female hunter watched as her friend took a deep breath.

"...You've got to talk about this. This isn't something that you can just let sit and simmer away inside of you."

"Don't act like a goddamn grief counselor. What the hell do you know about it, huh?" Dean watched as Jayne swallowed hard, her eyes watering. He immediately eased up on the woman, frowning at the way she looked at him—genuinely hurt by his harsh and hateful words. He let out a weary breath, shutting his eyes and shaking his head.

"Jaynie—"

"No, it's fine," she assured, clearing her throat and giving him a fragile smile. "I get it, Dean. You're pissed and need an outlet and someone to take it all out on—and after the way I've treated you, of course it's me. Not like I didn't have this coming."

"It's not—"

"But I just..." Jayne rubbed her face with her hands, giving Dean an apprehensive look. "People who don't deal with these kinds of things the right way—they change and they morph and they become the kind of people who keep others at an arm's length, and who keep secrets from even their closest friends." Dean's jaw clenched as Jayne let out a weak laugh. "They become like me." Turning, Jayne began to walk away, leaving Dean to his thoughts.

"Please, don't become like me." And then she was gone.

 **August 12, 2006**

"I need to do this, Jaynie. I need to get back out there and find the yellow-eyed demon." Jayne nodded as she looked over the information Sam had compiled through his work with Dean and John's old work. The 20-year-old nodded, impressed with what he had been able to gather before she looked up at him.

"Are you sure you're ready for something like this? It's only—" Sam nodded, a determined gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah. I have to do this."

"...Well, as long as you're sure." Pulling out her cell phone, Jayne began to write out a text, catching Sam's attention.

"Who're you messaging?"

"If you want a way to track this fucker down once and for all, I know someone who may be able to help," the hunter stated before she smiled up at Sam. "His name is Ash. He stays over at the Roadhouse."

"Ellen's bar?" Jayne nodded.

"You should go there and talk to him. I've already let him know he's got people who want to see him."

"Alright. Thanks, Jaynie." Said woman nodded with a smile.

"Any way I can help, I'll do it." Glancing to the window, Jayne cleared her throat, looking at Sam with a nod. "You should go and let Dean know." Sam frowned before he sighed.

"Yeah, I should."

"You two need to work it out together," Jayne encouraged gently. "It's harder to grieve alone than it is with someone who actually understands what you're going through."

"Jayne, I don't think we'll ever..." Sam shook his head while his friend sighed.

"You Winchesters and your fear of emotions." The 23-year-old chuckled before he began to head for the back door, giving Jayne one last glance. She gave him a reassuring nod before watching him go. With a heavy sigh of her own, Jayne stood to her feet, heading to her room and letting her feet drag; she could use a nap.

 **August 16, 2006**

The boys had returned from their short, little hunt, and upon their arrival back to Bobby's, the air had been tense. Neither Bobby nor Jayne dared to ask what happened, knowing that it was too early for either of the boys to process with other people. So, the two merely welcomed them back with open arms, making sure to keep the mood as light as possible to avoid any sudden outbursts and issues.

Jayne remained close to Bobby's side, helping him do a bit of research for a hunter named Garth; she had never met him, but he frequently called Bobby for assistance. As the hours passed, the sky darkened, and before she knew it, it was midnight. Neither of them had heard a peep from the Winchesters—Sam returning to his room after he'd spoke with Dean outside, and Dean coming back in and heading upstairs to wash up after working on the impala. The young woman had thought about trying to see what happened while the two had been gone, but she decided against it. She merely checked on Sam, glad to see his door wide open and him fast asleep in his bed; Dean had been in the shower, so Jayne left it at that.

"Alright, Bobby. I'm off to bed."

"Sweet dreams, Jaynie." The woman smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on the top of her guardian's head. She then headed down the hallway and up the stairs, a yawn slipping out of her mouth as she went. She then stopped at Sam's room, peeking into see him asleep under his covers. She smiled and continued down the hall, and as she approached her bedroom, she paused—the door cracked open and the light left on. She narrowed her eyes before she instinctively reached for the knife tucked into her knee-length boot.

Pushing the door open with her foot, Jayne glanced inside before her eyes widened. She swiftly stepped through the threshold of her room, setting her blade down on the dresser to her left. She gazed at her guest in slight shock, Dean seated on her bed with his feet firmly planted to the floor and his hands locked together. His head hung low while he stared at the floorboards, the warmth from Jayne's body making him feel a tiny bit more relaxed than he had been earlier; he couldn't remember how long he had been waiting in her room.

"...Some days I wake up, and I tell myself I've got to go out there and find dad...and then I remember, I already found him. I found him, I had him, and then he died." Jayne remained where she stood, watching as Dean shook his head, not looking up from the floor. "And I tell myself I gotta be strong because Sammy and I both can't be messes—and Sammy's already been through enough. So I've got to keep it together, and I've got to make sure that we both can get through this...but Jaynie, I don't know if I can." With a sorrowful expression, Jayne slowly approached her friend. She stopped right in front of him and gazed down at him. She offered a comforting smile as he lifted his head and looked up at her, and she could see the tears threatening to fall. Within seconds, Dean had his arms wrapped around her waist while he shut his eyes, embracing her heat and her comfort. Jayne didn't argue, she merely wrapped her own arms around him and took a seat with both of her legs draped over one side of him while she sat between his parted legs.

"...I'm sorry, Dean," the woman merely whispered before she placed a hand on the back of his head and ran her fingers through his hair. She shut her eyes at the warm tears that fell to her shoulder, and she held on to her friend tighter as a sign of support. He didn't make a sound—he merely sat quietly and held on to Jayne as if she was a rescue float and he was about to drown in the ocean.

Pulling back, Dean reached up and cupped Jaynie's face, giving her a stern look. She smiled softly, her friend rubbing his thumbs gently against her cheeks. "Whatever happens, swear to me that you'll be here."

"I promise, Dean. I'm not going anywhere." Dean nodded before he leaned his forehead against hers, relieved with her answer. Jayne blinked when she felt his arms scoop her up, and he was standing. He carefully set her back on the ground before he began to pull his shirt over his head and unbuckle his pants. Jayne relaxed, walking towards her dresser and grabbing out an over-sized t-shirt Bobby had given her years ago; it was the shirt she normally slept in when she was home.

Walking out of her room, Jayne headed to the bathroom. And when she shut the door, she let out a long held breath, leaning against the faucet and staring at herself in the mirror. She glared before she shook her head and cleared her throat. "Don't screw this up...he needs you, alright, Jayne? So don't hurt him anymore," she muttered to herself—her voice filled with exasperation—before smiling and changing out of her clothes. After that, she brushed her teeth and washed her face before returning to her room. She tossed her dirty clothes into her laundry bin before turning to Dean, who was laid out under her blanket. Without a word, Jayne shut the light off, stumbling a bit before she reached her bed and laid beside her friend. He said nothing, reaching out and pulling her close to him—so close that she was laying her head on his chest and draping a leg over his.

She'd never been this close to Dean before. Sure, they'd slept in the same bed as kids, but Sammy had been there too, and never had she felt Dean's skin against hers. Her heart raced as she rested her hand on his bare chest, and she was afraid that he could sense the way she felt panicked and flushed, but if he did, he didn't bring it up. He let her freak out silently in her mind as he leaned his head against the top of her head and held her tightly.

"...Have you been getting sleep?" Jayne suddenly asked in the darkness. Dean gazed up at the ceiling before he cleared his throat, shaking his head.

"No. Not really."

"...When I was younger, my mom used to sing to me so I would fall asleep." Dean blinked, caught off guard by the statement; it had been the first time the woman had _ever_ spoken about her mother since her death. "She used to hum tunes to her favorite songs, and even now, when I can't sleep, I sometimes just hum to myself and pretend it's her," she whispered, Dean's arm tightening around her for a moment.

"...Hopefully your mom's voice was better than yours." Jayne laughed, lightly smacking Dean on his chest, the man smiling slightly before relaxing, a sudden wave of sleepiness coming over him.

"Well, if we're comparing singing voices, don't get me started on yours, you wanna-be American Idol."

"Hey, Simon Cowell ain't got nothing on me." And even though his voice was strained and the tone was off, Dean was trying, and it made Jayne feel a bit better.

The sleepy woman began to softly hum the melody of a song that Dean recognized from hearing the woman listen to it; some country song that she had grown to like. And as the 27-year-old tried to recall the title of the song, his eyes began to flutter shut and his body grew heavy. Within a matter of seconds, he was fast asleep—his breathing steady and even. Jayne smiled at that as she quieted down before letting out a breath of relief and closed her own eyes.

And then, she too, was asleep.

 **August 20, 2006**

Things were a little better. Sam and Dean were more relaxed around one another, they were both eating full meals and interacting more with Jayne and Bobby, and not only that, but the impala was coming along nicely. The exterior of the car had been fixed, and now Dean just had to deal with the engine and finding new parts; that would take him some time. Sam was laughing more, and Dean was beginning to get that snarkiness back that had been nearly lost for the last few weeks.

Finally, the dust was beginning to settle.

Lying in bed, Jayne read through an article on her laptop, a possible werewolf case catching her attention. She glanced to Dean, who sat beside her with his pants off but his shirt and boxers still on; he was on his own laptop, ordering parts for Baby. Neither spoke for a few minutes before Jayne sighed, shutting her device and rubbing her eyes. She looked to her companion, who glanced up at her for a second before looking down at the screen. When he felt her gaze still on him, he blinked, looking up entirely and raising a brow.

"What?"

"...Dean..." Sighing once more, Jayne forced herself to smile. "You know you sometimes talk in your sleep." Immediately, it was as if the color drained from the young man's face as he tensed, slowly shutting his laptop.

"Jayne—"

"Your dad's death wasn't your fault." The man groaned as he covered his face with his hands and shook his head.

"Jaynie, I don't want to do this."

"You need to do this," the woman demanded with a scowl. She watched as her friend glowered at her.

"I've been better, right?" he pointed out desperately while Jayne slowly nodded. "I've been eating, I've been talking, I've been actually getting sleep. I'm doing everything like you wanted me to, isn't that enough?" The 20-year-old's eyes widened at Dean's words, her hand rising up and cupping his face before it moved into his hair and she began to soothingly rub his head.

"You're completely right. You are doing much better. But as much as I love the fact that you're doing this for me, you should be doing it for yourself." The man took a deep breath, his shoulders sagging as he muttered to himself.

"What do you want me to say?"

"It's not about what I want you to say, Dean."

"Then I don't know what to do!" he snapped as he stood up from the bed and placed a hand on his hip while the other rubbed his mouth. "I..." He stared at Jayne while she looked back at him, like she was looking at a frightened puppy. She slowly rose to her knees, moving to Dean's side of the queen-sized bed before she smiled softly and grabbed his hand.

"...Mom died while we were hunting some demons, and she died and I came out alive."

"...I remember."

"And I..." Jayne began to tremble, causing a worried look to etch itself on to the man's face. "...I was the one who did it." Dean blinked before he slowly took a seat on the bed beside her.

"You—You did what?" He watched as the 20-year-old swallowed a lump in her throat while she brushed away a few tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I was the one who killed her." Dean was utterly shocked. He stared at Jayne with his mouth slightly ajar as she looked at him hopelessly. "I was possessed, and I killed her."

"Jaynie...You never...I didn't..." Dean wasn't sure what to say. He was still recovering from the initial shock of the truth that he had nearly forgotten how to make coherent sentences. "You weren't in control, that wasn't your fault."

"...I saw it, Dean," she whispered before she turned and gazed at the wall in front of her, too ashamed to meet her friend's eyes. "I saw it, and I watched it happen, and I couldn't stop it. And...And because I was too ashamed—too angry with myself, I never said anything...You're the only person who knows." The 27-year-old swallowed hard, having nothing else to say.

"...I waited too long to talk about what happened. I waited too long to talk about how I felt. And all this time, I've been blaming myself and hating myself for what happened—telling myself that her death was on my shoulders." Jayne let out a breathy laugh, taking a deep breath afterwards. "I didn't have anyone to tell me that I was being stupid and that I was wrong. And now, even though in my head, I know I couldn't have stopped anything from happening—and even though I know that it was out of my hands, I can't stop myself from being angry and hating that I'm alive and she's not."

"Jaynie..." Dean pulled the woman close to his side, resting his head on top of hers.

Relishing in his warmth and familiar smell of mint, soap and musk, Jayne rested her head against his shoulder before she sat up and looked up at him. "If you keep this all bottled up, you're gonna become the kind of person I've become. The kind of person who's too afraid to let people too close, and the kind of person who is always afraid of being the reason someone dies." Dean began to shake his head, finally making sense of Jayne and making sense of why she did some of the things she did.

"...John's death was _not_ your fault. Whatever happened to him, that wasn't on you. So you need to stop making it your fault. You need to accept that it was out of your control." Dean's jaw clenched as his vision blurred, hot tears forming in his eyes.

"...Jayne, I miraculously came back to life, and he died, and the colt went missing..." The woman nodded.

"I know."

"He—"

"Whatever he did—it wasn't your decision to make. Whatever he did, he did knowing all the consequences. You didn't force him to do anything, and you sure as hell aren't responsible for the decisions he makes." Dean stared at Jayne, and although her words made sense, it was much harder to change the way he thought. Still, everything she had said was right, and knowing now what he didn't know before, it made moving on more important to him.

"...Alright." Jayne blinked as Dean nodded, giving her a decided look. The woman smiled before she let out a relieved breath, happy that Dean seemed to at least have understood what she was saying; he wasn't better, but she had faith that he'd be able to let it go sooner or later.

With a chuckle, Jayne laid back down on her side of the bed while Dean did the same. He pressed his chest to her back, pulling her right against him and keeping his arms around her waist before he reached for his shoe and tossed it towards the light switch. Jayne laughed when the light shut off, his boot tumbling to the floor and landing with a light thud. A comfortable silence then fell over the pair, and the young woman was fast asleep. Dean lifted his head and looked over his friend's shoulder to get a look at her profile. His gaze softened before he laid his head back down and shut his eyes.

"Night, Jaynie."

 **August 23, 2006**

She had received an alarmed phone call from Bobby, telling her that she needed to meet him at the Roadhouse as soon as possible; he hadn't said what was wrong, but she had assumed it had something to do with the yellow-eyed demon. So, detouring from her way to Wyoming, the hunter drove as quickly as she could to Nebraska, only stopping when she finally arrived to the bar.

"Bobby?!" the woman called out and she rushed up to the entrance of the bar. "Bobby—"

"Happy birthday!" Jayne came to an abrupt halt as she nearly stumbled over herself. She stared with wide eyes as she gazed upon the nearly empty bar, A small cake sitting on a table with a few candles and several people sitting around the cake.

It was still early in the day, so there was no one at the bar but Ellen, Jo and Ash. They had received a phone call from Bobby that morning, asking for a favor, and when they heard the plan that had been created, they all agreed to help with smiles on their faces.

Sam, Dean and Bobby had arrived at the Roadhouse just an hour earlier, the two brothers having told Jayne they were going on a hunt and Bobby stating that he had some business with the sheriff of Sioux Falls. Jayne didn't doubt them as she continued reading through possible cases of her own. And when the three left, they drove to the Roadhouse, the other three waiting with a small cake they had been able to make. And after settling in and getting everything right, Bobby called Jayne.

And there she was.

"Wh—What is this?" Jayne asked, shocked as Jo smirked, walking up behind the shocked woman and guiding her towards the table.

"Us celebrating your birthday, obviously," the blonde said playfully while Jayne rolled her eyes but laughed. She stared down at the cake that had been made for her, a wide smile spreading across her lips.

"You guys did this?"

"It was Sammy's idea," Dean answered as he pat his younger brother on the back proudly, while said brother grinned at his friend. Jayne looked at him before she hugged him tight, leaning her head against his chest.

"Thank you."

"Happy birthday, Jaynie."

"You guys didn't have to do this," the woman sighed with slight blush on her cheeks. She turned to look back down at her cake before she laughed, hugging Dean and then Ash, Bobby, Ellen and Jo. Sam and Dean exchanged glances before the taller Winchester shook his head.

"We really did." Because, although it was shaky and barely manageable, they were able to keep their lives together because of her; she kept them going.

"Alright, I can't stop looking at this cake. We need to start eating it," Jayne stated as Ellen laughed, patting the young woman on her back while she motioned for her to grab some plates with her. Jayne followed Jo's mother, the blonde then following after her, leaving the men to wait. Dean smiled as he watched Jayne grin at something the older woman said, and then he looked to Sam and Bobby.

"Good work, Sammy."

The day had gone on swimmingly. Music played loudly, drinks had been drunk, darts had been thrown—and all the while, laughter filled the air. Bobby and Ellen sat at a table and chatted quietly to each other while Jayne and Jo played a game of pool against Sam and Ash—the mullet-haired man unexpectedly talented at the game. Dean watched with amusement, commentating whenever someone missed. And by the time the sun had set, the atmosphere had settled into something more relaxed and easy-going. A cool breeze drifted into the bar, Ash now lying across the pool table with a beer balanced on his belly while Sam and Dean challenged each other to another game of darts. Bobby chuckled at something Ellen said while the woman smiled warmly and glanced to Jo and Jayne, who were seated close to the open door and enjoying the evening air.

"Jo, please don't try and drag me into this."

"I mean, you agree though, don't you?" the blonde inquired as her friend chuckled. "I'm four months older than you, and somehow you've gone on, like, 100 more hunts than I have." Jayne sighed, sipping on her beer before she shrugged.

"Your mom just worries. This life is shitty and dangerous."

"But you do it just fine."

"Yeah, well, I have more bad days than good days, to be honest." The bar assistant gazed at Jayne's profile, realizing that she may have stepped into sensitive territory. She made herself smile and leaned her head against the birthday girl's shoulder. The 21-year-old chortled to herself as she leaned her head against Jo's and gazed out at the night.

"...Thanks for this, Jo."

"You should really be thanking your boys," the blonde pointed out playfully as she sat up right and glanced at the brothers. She smiled before looking back at Jayne. "They wanted to make today a good day for you."

"Yeah...they're great." Jayne smiled before she stretched and stood up, her cell phone suddenly ringing. She blinked and pulled it out of her pocket before she rolled her eyes and looked to Jo.

"I'll be right back, gotta take this." The young woman nodded while standing to her feet and making her way over to Ash, Jayne watching her before she stepped outside and took a seat on the step.

"Hamlet?"

" _How is it I can't seem to find you?_ " The young woman smirked as she pulled out a small charm from her other pocket.

"I have my ways."

" _Well, I guess since it's your birthday, I'll let it pass this once._ " The woman smiled softly before she sighed.

"You called to wish me happy birthday?"

" _That, I did_."

"Are you this nice to all the people under your care?" the woman queried as the man on the other end of the line remained silent.

" _...You know you're special to me_." Jayne's eyes softened before she cleared her throat. " _Your mother would have loved to see you today_."

"...I'm sure she would've."

" _Have a happy birthday, Jayne_."

"Thanks." The woman didn't wait, hanging her phone up quickly before she sighed and gazed out at the night. She was startled from her thoughts, though, when Dean approached her side.

"Who was that?" he inquired with a raised brow as Jayne shrugged.

"Wrong number." Someday, she'd be able to tell Dean about Hamaliel.

Not lingering on the question, the 27-year-old gave Jayne a wily smile, causing her to give him a suspicious look. "...What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just this." The birthday girl blinked, surprised when Dean pulled out a long, rectangular wrapped box from behind his back. She gapped, the man handing her the gift.

"This is for me?"

" _No,_ the other girl we celebrated for," Dean said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "I swear, you're the dumbest Asian I know."

"I'm the _only_ Asian you know, asshole." That made Dean laugh.

"Just open it." Doing as told, Jayne began to unwrap her gift. She handed Dean the wrapping paper, the man crumpling it into a ball and holding on to it while he gazed patiently at the woman. He waited as she opened the small box, her eyes widening when she found a silver necklace with a green, tear-drop shaped gem hanging from the chain. She held it up into the air, her eyes sparkling at the way the gem gleamed in the light.

" _You_ picked this out?" Jayne's question was filled with incredulity; Dean smiled proudly and nodded. "Wait, _Dean Winchester_ bought jewelry for a girl?" Said man gave her a deadpanned stare before she burst into laughter, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"This is seriously beautiful," the 21-year-old whispered as she stared a moment longer at her present before she smiled at Dean. "Thank you."

"Happy birthday, Jaynie." Dean hugged the girl, pulling her close as he inhaled and smiled; she smelled of oranges and the outside breeze.

"...Me and Sammy want you to know that we're glad to have you around." Jayne leaned back, looking at Dean with a nod.

"I know."

"...You're half the reason why I keep going, you know that?" Dean whispered, the air suddenly changing around them. Jayne felt her heartbeat quicken as she stared into Dean's green eyes. Her breath suddenly hitched as she swallowed, forcing herself to smile and stay composed. Her brown eyes dropped to Dean's lips, her gaze suddenly stuck there. The young man took notice of this, and a heat suddenly ignited inside of him as he threw inhibition to the wind and slowly began to lean forward. He felt Jayne tense in his arms before his lips finally found hers. He shivered as he pressed his lips harder against Jayne's, the woman letting out a low hum of satisfaction at the touch of his mouth against hers.

He'd been waiting for this moment for a long time. Because he had known, deep down, that Jayne had always been someone special. She'd been his rock, his anchor, his headache, his reason, his sorrow, his rage—she was everything to him. And for the first time, ever, he was doing something—not for his father, not for Sammy, not for the better of the world, but for himself. He was kissing Jayne and holding her close, and it made so much sense to him; like he should have known from the start. And it made him wonder why he hadn't done it sooner—why he hadn't come to terms with his feelings and just kissed her before; never again would he take this for granted.

Slowly, Dean pulled away, opening his eyes and watching as Jayne blinked several times—as if she had just stepped out of into the light for the first time. She remained in Dean's arms, afraid that if he pulled completely away, she would collapse to her knees. Her entire body was tingling and her head was fuzzy—now from more than her alcohol-related buz. The only thing that really made sense to her was the way Dean felt against her and the way he made her feel. She was soaring, and she was so high; the feeling was liberating. Because if anyone could make her feel this way, it was going to be Dean, and it just couldn't be anyone else but him.

Not bothering to ask, Jayne rose to the tips of her toes, pulling Dean back down to her mouth by the back of his head. He didn't fight back, going with the moment and pressing his lips back to Jayne's. His lips began to move against the young woman's, and he nearly crumbled at the way she softly moaned before she ran her hands down his chest and gripped his shirt tightly. They remained molded together and kissing for a minute more before the brunet pulled away to breathe. He pressed his forehead against Jayne's as she smiled, opening her eyes and giving Dean a chuckle. He began to laugh, as well, before he opened his eyes and gazed at Jayne.

And before he leaned in for another kiss, he whispered, "Thank you."

* * *

 **And there you have it! Another chapter out!**

 **It's been a bit since I last updated, but nicer weather always makes me think of "Supernatural" so I was inspired to write and post! Thank you to everyone who's been reading and keeping up with this. It's been a slower process** **—as far as how often I post, but I appreciate the patience and support from you guys that are reading :) Feel free to leave me any notes on what I could do better or if there's something that doesn't fit! Friendly criticism is always welcome!**

 **Things will be picking up within the next few chapters, and once that happens, you will start seeing the differences between this story and the original plot. Hopefully, all pans out the way I think it will in my head, but you never know! Any who, thank you to everyone who reads, follows, favorites and reviews! Until next time!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Guest:** (I'm not exactly sure if this is the same person posting multiple times since the name is "Guest" but since I usually respond to individual reviewers this way, just bear with me!) I am super relieved to hear you like the way I write! Everyone's a bit different in their styles of writing, and for me, it's been a journey trying to get the flow of writing down, so it means a lot! Thank you! And thank you for reading this, in the first place! I hope you enjoy this chapter and enjoy future chapters to come :D

 **Guest:** Hi! I'm glad to hear that you like how this story is going so far! I've put a lot of time into making sure the actual writing doesn't suck LOL so I'm glad to hear it doesn't! Hopefully you'll like the direction that I take this story...we'll see XD Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

 **Guest:** I'm glad you think it's a creative story so far! As a reader, myself, I like a variety in stories, so I wanted to make this story different but also still make sense and fit in with the original plot of the series—so hopefully that's coming across! Like I've said before, there's going to be a point in this story where it goes completely left from the original plot, so if you're interested in a story like that, stay tuned! Thank you, thank you for reading this! I'm so glad to hear you like it!


End file.
